Cancer progress report

October 8, 2024

Source: Am Assoc for Cancer Research, 2024 Cancer Progress Report, September, 2024

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) published its 2024 cancer progress report last month. The AACR highlights the enormous progress made in treating many kinds of cancer, especially pediatric cancers. Recently, personalized therapies for even glioblastoma and retinoblastoma appear promising. Cancer researchers, oncologists and pharmaceutical companies have also dramatically improved survival rates for many dreaded adult cancers. The researchers report a 33% reduction in overall cancer death rates from 1991 to 2021, representing 4.1 million lives saved. Treatments for melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer and certain kinds of colon cancer offer hope to many whose disease would have been untreatable a decade ago. While cases and deaths from colorectal cancer are down in those older than 65, they have increased for those under age 50.

The report also summarizes risk factors for premature cancer, and smoking is the cause of almost half of all preventable cases of cancer, even though the US smoking rate has declined dramatically. Alcohol consumption represents more than one in eight preventable cancers, and is associated with increased risk of breast cancer, liver cancer, all gastrointestinal cancers, and head and neck cancers.

Source: Am Assoc for Cancer Research, 2024 Cancer Progress Report, September, 2024

Implications for employers:

-        Cancer represents the number one or number two cost for most employer health plans, as the improved treatments are very costly.

-        We can prevent many cancers by decreasing smoking rate, reducing excess weight, eating well, exercising, and using sunscreen. We can also prevent cancers of the cervix, head and neck and liver by increasing HPV and Hepatitis B vaccination rates, and treating those who are infected with Hepatitis C and B.

-        Employers can continue to encourage early detection by screening, and reminding members that recommended cancer screening generally incurs no out-of-pocket costs. Here’s a link to an article that Patricia Toro, MD MPH and I wrote about consideration of removing cost sharing for additional breast cancer screening tests.

Thanks for reading.  You can find previous posts in the Employer Coverage archive

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Tomorrow: Automated insulin delivery improves care for young people with Type 1 Diabetes