Cancer Insights & Action: Key Headlines from the Last Month

At a glance: 

• As the cost of cancer treatment and care continues to rise, 40% of survivors report experiencing food insecurity as a result of their treatment.
• New research proves that menthol bans lead to higher rates of smoking cessation, but a national level ban still faces hurdles. 
• Unmet social needs are highly correlated with lower rates of breast cancer screening and later stage diagnoses. 
• Two reports this past month—one from the UK’s National Health Service and one in JAMA—underscore the cost-effectiveness of managing high-risk patients differently for breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancer.

Key news and research deep dive

Key headline: Cancer patients and survivors often face a financial tradeoff between buying food or continuing their cancer treatment. 

Key takeaways:

• In a January 2024 survey commissioned by the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, one in three cancer patients and survivors felt they had to choose between cancer care and purchasing food. 
• Nearly 40% of the patients and survivors polled have accumulated debt to purchase food while undergoing cancer care. 
• 11% of patients and survivors have even skipped or delayed treatment in order to afford food. 

Impact: Survivors of cancer celebrate “ringing the bell”, but they may continue to deal with the financial impacts of their treatment for years to come. Assistance programs do exist, however, and can be offered by employers, the Federal government, or local governments. A strong advocate can help connect survivors and their families to much needed financial and survivorship resources.

New research: Menthol bans work. The real challenge is getting approval at a national level. 

Key findings: 

• A February Nicotine and Tobacco Research journal article found that 24% of menthol cigarette smokers quit smoking after a menthol ban. 
• Within the US, 170 cities and counties and two states currently ban the sale of menthol cigarettes, and that number is growing. Compared to cities and counties without a menthol ban, cigarette use declined at a faster rate. 
• The tobacco industry and critics of menthol bans continue to undermine passage of a ban at the national level. 

Impact: According to the CDC, cigarette smoking is linked to 80-90% of all lung cancer cases. As such, smoking cessation remains the single, most-proven intervention for lung cancer. Youth and minority populations make up a large portion of menthol cigarette users, which means they are disproportionately affected by a lack of menthol bans. And people who begin smoking at a younger are more likely to develop a long-lasting nicotine addiction. In the absence of a national menthol ban, organizations can a) educate their workforce on risk, b) directly assist in getting eligible members screened for lung cancer, and c) tie smoking cessation programs to cancer prevention, screening, and care activities. 

New research: Unmet social needs lead to lower breast cancer screening rates and worse breast cancer outcomes. 

Key findings: 

• A JAMA Network study found that in a cohort of breast cancer patients, higher numbers of unmet social needs correlated with lower rates of screening utilization, even when screening options were provided through a Safety Net Hospital (SNH) or an academic center. 
• Patients with two or more unmet social needs—including more commonplace needs such as transportation challenges or childcare accessibility—were also more likely to present with late stage diagnoses. 
• Breast cancer patients could benefit from a social need assessment prior to screening in order to help providers better understand their barriers to access. 

Impact: This research underscores that delays in screening translate to worse cancer outcomes. Women and single parents in particular can shoulder significant burdens that impede their ability to access care in a timely and reliable way, even when they know what should be done. Organizations have the tools needed to remove friction from traditional care by providing full clinical and advocacy support and by bringing evidence-based screenings to their members where and when it’s convenient to them. 

New reports: Taking care of high-risk individuals differently is better for outcomes and costs. 

Key findings: 

• According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), colonoscopies every two years for individuals with Lynch Syndrome—a screenable, hereditary cancer syndrome that nearly doubles a person’s lifetime risk of colon cancer—can be life-saving. 
• In February, the NHS announced they will now cover the bi-annual colorectal cancer screen for individuals with this condition. 
• New research published in JAMA Network concludes that risk-reducing surgeries are cost-effective for individuals who have a genetic risk of breast and ovarian cancer, including those who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. These kinds of surgeries are effective in preventing specific cancers from ever occurring in individuals with heightened risk. 
• Specifically, researchers found that risk-reducing interventions, such as removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries to reduce ovarian cancer risk and mastectomies to reduce breast cancer risk, could prevent 923 ovarian and breast cancer cases and over 300 deaths among every 1000 individuals with a BRCA1 mutation.

Impact: 5-10% of cancers can be strongly linked to genetic mutations, and many individuals may be unaware that they possess inherited cancer risk. Testing for these conditions—specifically BRCA1/2 mutations and Lynch Syndrome—is beneficial for those who meet criteria based on their personal or family history. Knowing this information can change the course of care for these individuals and their families, resulting in potentially life-saving and cost-effectiveness impacts. 

Resources and upcoming events

Get more information, data, and resources from Color.

Read: 

• 3 ways to help employees catch cancer sooner | Employee Benefit News

Watch: 

• Employer Insights Report: The State of Cancer | On-Demand Webinar | Color President Caroline Savello, Former President of Business Group on Health Brian Marcotte, and Chief Patient Officer of the American Cancer Society Dr. Arif Kamal

Attend: 

• Transform | March 11-13 | Las Vegas, NV
• Conference Board Annual Health Care Conference | March 19-20 | San Diego, CA
• Total Rewards Forum | April 3-5 | Coral Gables, FL
• Business Group on Health Annual Conference | April 9-12 | Tucson, AZ

Learn more about taking control of cancer at color.com.