Controversial Change To Mammogram Screening Guidelines Prompts Questions From Sen. Ayotte
In related news, the increased frequency of CT scans raises safety concerns. And Reuters examines the long-lasting financial impact of medical care that working-age cancer survivors face.
Concord Monitor:
Can There Be Too Much Cancer Screening? Concord Hospital, Sen. Ayotte Tackle The Question
With Concord Hospital’s new 3-D Breast Cancer Imaging as background and a new law co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte about insurance for mammograms as foreground, the complicated debate over how much cancer screening is proper came to town Tuesday morning. Ayotte’s legislation and visit to the Concord Imaging Center was prompted by a recommendation from the Preventive Service Task Force, an advisory arm of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. (Brooks, 1/6)
Kaiser Health News:
Heavy Use Of CT Scans Raises Concerns About Patients’ Exposure To Radiation
Jean Hanvik decided that enough was enough. When a painful intestinal inflammation flared in 2014, the 55-year-old benefits communications consultant balked at her doctor’s recommendation that she undergo another abdominal CT scan — her fourth in eight years. ... Hanvik’s questions about the necessity of a CT scan reflect a growing awareness of the potential pitfalls of diagnostic imaging, which in the past two decades has exploded into a $100 billion-a-year business. (Boodman, 1/6)
Reuters:
For Working-Age Cancer Survivors, Debt And Bankruptcy Are Common
One third of working-age cancer survivors go into debt, and 3 percent file for bankruptcy, according to a new study. Cancer care costs have increased two to three times faster than other healthcare expenses in recent years in the U.S., the authors wrote. The average monthly cost of a new cancer therapy agent is now $10,000 and can be as high as $60,000. (Doyle, 1/5)
And KHN reports on changes in some states that require hospitals to involve caregivers in discussions about sick loved ones —
Kaiser Health News:
Hospitals Required To Keep Caregivers In The Loop
Diana Matsushima cares for both her husband and sister-in-law full time. ... But when either ends up hospitalized, Matsushima said her role as their primary caregiver is often overlooked. She isn’t always included in the discussions at the hospital, and she sometimes leaves confused about how to best care for them when she gets home. ... Beginning in January, family caregivers like Matsushima could have a much different experience. A new California law, SB 675, requires hospital staffers to involve a family caregiver during the hospitalization and discharge process, which supporters say will improve patients’ overall health and reduce their chances of readmission. (Gorman, 1/6)
