Cancer Statistics & How We Can Help

What Is Cancer?

Cancer is the general name for a group of more than 100 diseases. Although there are many kinds of cancer, all cancers start because abnormal cells grow out of control. Untreated cancers can cause serious illness and death.

Lifetime Risk of Developing or Dying From Cancer:

The lifetime risk of developing or dying from cancer refers to the chance a person has, over the course of his or her lifetime (from birth to death), of being diagnosed with or dying from cancer.

These numbers are average risks for the overall US population. Your risk may be higher or lower than these numbers, depending on your particular risk factors.

Males

	Risk of developing		Risk of dying from
	%	1 in	%	1 in
All invasive sites	43.31	2	22.83	4

Females

	Risk of developing			Risk of dying from
	%	1 in	%		1 in
All invasive sites	37.81	3	19.26		5

Economic Impact of Cancer

The financial costs of cancer are high for both the person with cancer and for society as a whole.

The Agency for Healthcare research and Quality (AHRQ) estimates that the direct medical costs (total of all health care costs) for cancer in the US in 2011 were $88.7 billion.

·         50% of this cost is for hospital outpatient or doctor office visits

·         35% of this cost is for inpatient hospital stays

·         11% of this cost is for prescription drugs

*PLEASE NOTE: These estimates are based on a set of large-scale surveys of individuals and their medical providers called the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Estimates were accessed directly from the MEPS website, www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/.

One of the major costs of cancer is cancer treatment. But lack of health insurance and other barriers to health care prevent many Americans from getting optimal health care.

·         According to the US Census Bureau, about 48 million people (15.4%) in the US were uninsured in 2012.

·         About 10% of children in the United States had no health insurance coverage in 2012.

And according to Cancer Facts & Figures 2015, “Uninsured patients and those from ethnic minorities are substantially more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at a later stage, when treatment can be more extensive, more costly, and less successful.”

This year, about 589,430 US residents are expected to die of cancer – that’s more than 1,600 people a day. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease. Cancer accounts for nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths in the United States.

Cancer costs us billions of dollars. It also costs us the people we love. Reducing barriers to cancer care is critical in the fight to eliminate suffering and death due to cancer.

References

American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2015. Atlanta, Ga. 2015.

Last Medical Review: 04/15/2015
Last Revised: 04/15/2015

How can we help? || SBS Client Testimonies: 

1. "I am 70 years old and on Medicare.  I also have a good Medicare supplement. When I was diagnosed with Cervical cancer 3 years ago. I knew the medical bills would be covered.  However, the treatment, (Chemo therapy and radiation for 8 weeks) was at a cancer center 180 miles from home.  That’s when I found out how valuable my cancer insurance proved to be. The motel bill for two months, the travel expenses, eating out,  even someone to take care of the house while we were gone were all taken care of  with the funds we received from the cancer insurance policy. Our daughter took time off work to be with me and we were able to cover her expenses too.  We had the peace of mind that all the unexpected expenses were covered. It was a stressful time but the cancer insurance sure eased the financial burden."    

- Virginia  (Missouri)

2. "I have carried Medicare Supplement Insurance with SBS for 8 years.  When my agent spoke to my husband and I about the value of a cancer policy, and we saw how inexpensive the coverage was, we decided to move forward with the plans even though we knew our supplements would cover the majority of the medical bills. Less than 3 years after purchasing the policy I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Within 2 months of filing the claim after my diagnosis, I had a check in my hands from GTL Insurance Company for $5,000.  That money was such a blessing at a time that was both financially and emotionally difficult!"

     - Lula Bell U. (Missouri)

     3. "I purchased my GTL cancer plan in November of 2010.  By September of 2011 I had been diagnosed with internal cancer.  I was so relieved when I received my $5,000 check from my cancer plan, after having the policy for less than a year!  We were under such serious financial strain at the time, with our home recently being condemned because of black mold, we didn't know what we were going to do.  We were able to use that money for the deposit and rent on a new apartment.  I can't thank our agent enough for stressing the importance of carrying cancer insurance."

     -Georgia S. (Missouri)