USA Today Series Examines Issues With Cancer Care

USA Today on Monday published several articles as part of a series titled "Surviving Cancer" based on the results of a survey conducted by the newspaper, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. The survey included a nationally representative sample of 930 adults ages 18 years and older who say they, or another family member in their household, have been diagnosed with or treated for cancer in the past five years. Summaries appear below."Cancer Care Keeps in Step: Patient Advocates Can Choreograph Complex Treatment": Half of cancer patients and their households have problems with the coordination of cancer care, according to the survey. The survey found that 20% of cancer patients experienced confusion about their prescriptions, 21% received duplicate tests and 25% received conflicting information about their conditions (Szabo [1], USA Today, 11/20).

"Cancer Hurts Caregivers, Too: Stress of Helping Loved One Takes a Psychological Toll": About 32% of cancer patients said that their disease caused individuals in their households to have emotional or psychological problems, according to the survey (Szabo [2], USA Today, 11/20).

"Cancer Patients Keep on Working: Many Find Comfort, Support at Office": More than 40% of adults who live with cancer patients said that the patients were diagnosed during employment, and 75% said that the patients were treated well by their employers, according to the survey. Only 7% of adults who live with cancer patients said that the cancer patients were not treated well by their employers, the study found. However, almost 40% of adults who live with cancer patients said that the disease affected patients' ability to work (Armour, USA Today, 11/20). Full results from the survey, which provides an in-depth examination of how families cope with cancer and highlights problems of health insurance and health care costs through the lens of those who have experienced this major illness, are available online.

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