by Mary Hesdorffer, Nurse Practitioner
Executive Director, Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
Researchers from Creighton University School of Medicine accessed the National Cancer Database (NCD), and issued a report on their findings. They analyzed the years between 2000 and 2010. In the United States, 26,605 patients were diagnosed during this period of time. The NCD accumulates this data on approximately 70% of all cancers diagnosed in the states. If one were to add in the 30% not recorded it would take us close to the number of 3,458 cases per year that we use as a figure when we present on mesothelioma. This supports that the numbers of diagnosed mesothelioma patients have remained fairly steady over these past years.
Not surprising were the reports that mesothelioma patients were 89% Caucasian, 78% male and 60% over the age of 70. We talk about the changing face of mesothelioma, but perhaps that perception is created because younger patients access the web, engage in social media and are able to draw more attention to their plight. Or perhaps one could argue that when 30% remain unaccounted for in this database the figures could be different in terms of age, race and gender.
Recently, I took the opportunity to speak with Dr. Karen Antman, Dean of Boston University School of Medicine, to discuss the earliest days of mesothelioma research. Dr. Antman, prior to writing one of the first clinical trials in mesothelioma, canvased the database of the Harvard system and told me that even then she was surprised by the number of young patients she found in the archives. So perhaps this phenomenon is not new.
What does not surprise me is that 36% of patients under the age of 50 underwent surgery, and 12% over the age of 80 also underwent a surgical procedure. It takes a good physicality to undergo this surgery and return to a quality of life that is sustainable and acceptable to the majority of patients.
In reading the report, what did not surprise but disgusted me, was that insurance weighed so heavily in the surgical arena. “Patients with private insurance received more surgical treatment (28%) than patients with Medicaid (22%), Medicare (18%), and VHA (12%)(p<0.009)” (J Clin Oncol 31, 2013 (suppl; abstr e18501). Our Veterans seem to be denied surgery when compared to those with private insurance. 21% of all patients in this database underwent surgery which explains why attempting to mount a robust surgical trial in mesothelioma will not be possible and we will continue to rely on case series and small powered trials to obtain surgical statistics in advising our patients.
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