Latest KFF Health News Stories
Cancer Rates Dropped During The Recession. That’s Not Necessarily A Good Thing.
Researchers believe Californians, many of whom lost health coverage, delayed doctor visits that could have led to earlier detection. Now, with people seeking medical care under the Affordable Care Act, some experts expect to see an increase in late-stage cancers.
Despite Prevention Guidelines, Few Smokers Seek CT Scans To Check For Lung Cancer
Lung cancer screening rates have not changed much even though the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended that smokers get checked, according to a new study.
Dozens Of New Cancer Drugs Do Little To Improve Survival, Frustrating Patients
The FDA has approved dozens of new cancer medications in recent years, but few offer the benefits that patients seek.
Nuevas drogas contra el cáncer, ¿ayudan a vivir más?
Empujados por defensores de pacientes que quieren acceso temprano a los medicamentos, la FDA ha aprobado una ráfaga de drogas oncológicas en los últimos años, Pero pocas de estas drogas han permitido a pacientes con una esperanza de vida limitada, vivir por años.
Preserving Fertility When It Is Threatened By Life-Saving Medicine
A bill recently introduced in the California legislature would require insurance companies to cover fertility-preserving services for patients at risk of infertility because of necessary medical treatments.
California Aims To Boost Worker Safety, One Nail Salon At A Time
Effort asks salon owners to voluntarily improve air quality and use less toxic chemicals.
One In Three Women With Breast Cancer Treated Unnecessarily, Study Concludes
Mammograms find many slow-growing cancers that aren’t life-threatening and shouldn’t be treated, a Danish study said.
For Some Patients In Marketplace Plans, Access To Cancer Centers Is Elusive
In a number of states, including big ones such as New York and Texas, leading cancer centers aren’t included in insurers’ provider networks.
In Battle Against Ovarian Cancer, A New Focus on Fallopian Tubes
Removing them during already-planned hysterectomies poses little risk and can help prevent a deadly cancer, researchers find.
Social Isolation May Worsen Breast Cancer Prospects
A new study shows women fare worse without a support network.
Victims Seek Payments As ‘Dr. Death’ Declares Innocence
While hundreds of his former patients submit claims for restitution, a Detroit cancer doctor convicted of making millions by purposefully poisoning them with drugs they didn’t need vows to prove his innocence.
Se curaron del cáncer cuando niños, pero siguen enfermos
Aunque los avances en la medicina están salvando a más niños diagnosticados con cáncer, una nueva investigación sugiere que problemas de salud persistentes en la edad adulta están aumentando con cada generación de supervivientes.
‘Durable Cure’ Is Goal For Childhood Cancer, But Recent Patients Have Persistent Issues
People treated in the 1990s report worse health problems later in life than those treated in the two previous decades.
Is 20-Something Too Late For A Guy To Get The HPV Vaccine?
A generation of young men missed out on the HPV vaccine. Now, 29-year-old journalist Jake Harper wonders if that’s putting him and other men at risk.
How Tiny Are Benefits From Many Tests And Pills? Researchers Paint A Picture
A Maryland physician teams up with an environmental scientist to help patients better understand the risks and benefits of medical tests and treatments.
Pricey New Treatment Roils Issues Of How To Treat Prostate Cancer
High-intensity focused ultrasound, often not covered by insurance, leads to discussions about which patients benefit in the real world.
Expert Panel Recommends Expansion Of Services With No Cost Sharing For Women
The list of preventive services that insurers must cover without a co-pay could grow to include mammograms for younger women, testing that follows an irregular screening and birth control for men.
Studies Link Cancer Patient’s Survival Time To Insurance Status
Research on patients with testicular cancer and others fighting a brain malignancy finds that people who are privately insured are more likely to be diagnosed earlier and survive longer.
Insurers May Insist On Counseling Before Genetic Tests For Breast Cancer
Doctors are concerned that requiring referrals to genetic counselors can deter women from going forward with testing for genetic mutations that cause breast cancer.
Patients, Fearing Pricey Follow-Ups, May Shy Away From Some Colon Cancer Tests
Most screening tests for colon cancer are covered by insurance but if they come back positive, they may require a diagnostic colonoscopy and that may not be covered completely by insurance.
