Primary Care Relationship Impacts Cancer Screenings

According to MedPage Today, only about half of older Medicaid patients receive recommended screening for colorectal, breast, and cervical cancers, largely because their physicians don't recommend the tests, researchers here reported.

About half of eligible Medicaid patients had evidence of screening when medical record and claims data were analyzed together.

Previous studies have shown that Medicaid recipients are more likely to have an advanced stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis than patients with other sources of health insurance, the researchers said.

And other studies have found that patients with lower socioeconomic status have lower rates of cancer screening.

All patients in this study, however, had "access to primary care and full coverage of cancer screening services under Medicaid," the researchers said.

Read the rest of this article at MedPage Today.

Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer Sparks Heart Trouble

According to an article in MedPage Today, stress and anxiety after receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer may trigger cardiovascular events, researchers said here.

Men were at a 50% elevated risk of fatal cardiovascular events in the year after prostate cancer diagnosis and a 30% greater risk of a nonfatal event, according to a large population-based study presented here at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

Events were most likely in the first week after diagnosis and in younger men and those without cardiovascular risk factors, reported Fang Fang, M.D., of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues.

These findings may not be surprising because of the well-established link between emotional stress and cardiovascular events, said Bruce J. Roth, M.D., of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn., who commented on the study as chair of the conference program committee.

Although it's likely that the same effect would be seen in patients diagnosed with any type of cancer, Dr. Roth said there are implications for prostate cancer screening.

Read the rest of the article at MedPage.

X-Rays for Detecting Colon Cancer

The New England Journal of Medicine revealed a federal study of an x-ray alternative to colonoscopies. The colonography method was confirmed as effective at spotting most cancers.

The study, the largest of its kind, identified 9 out of 10 people who had cancers or large growths diagnosed previously by standard colonoscopy by using the "virtual colonoscopy" (x-ray method). Though better at ruling out cancer rather than detecting it, the virtual colonoscopy has real value in showing who needs a regular colonoscopy.

By utilizing the x-ray detection method, more people may opt to be screened as the procedure is non-invasive and involves none of the embarassment of a regular colonoscopy. Since early detection is vital in treating the various forms of colon cancers, this new screening may help many people who have shied away from the standard form of colon cancer screenings.

With costs of colonoscopies running about $3,000 per test, and x-rays costing just $300-$800, Medicare is considering paying for the cheaper, less intrusive option.

More information is available through the New England Journal of Medicine.