In a recent study conducted at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and published in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship (February 9, 2018) it was determined that young cancer survivors who are African American, without health insurance or who have public insurance, or live in neighborhoods with low socioeconomic status are at increased risk for heart disease.
The study used data collected by the California Cancer Registry and California hospitals to look at heart disease in 79,167 teens and young adults ages 15 to 39 years of age who had been diagnosed with cancer between the years 1996 and 2012. From this group 2,249 patient, or 2.8 percent, had developed heart disease. And, within that group, 218 were African American. 722 study subjects did not have health insurance or had public health insurance and 926 lived in two of the lowest income neighborhoods in California State. African Americans had a 55 percent greater risk than non-Hispanic whites with the same socioeconomic and residential status.
According to the study researchers this is the first of its kind to look at the risk of heart disease and stroke in younger cancer patients and survivors. Studies conducted earlier had shown that the overall survival among the younger cancer patient had differed due to factors such as health insurance, socioeconomics and race.
While the study’s results may not be surprising to some given how race and income are associated with health outcomes, the young cancer survivor can use this information to their advantage. Survivors can choose to be more intentional about engaging in healthier behaviors such as adopting a healthy diet, exercising regularly and not smoking.
Researchers have suggested that individuals who do not have health insurance or only have public health insurance may be at increased risk because they likely have limited access to preventive care or screening studies. Survivors who live in low income neighborhoods may also have transportation limitations making follow-up care with their oncologist more difficult or even a lack of places in which to safely exercise.
Health care providers and organizations can address those at higher risk by developing programs to identify and treat diabetes, hypertension and other risk factors, such as heart disease among young adult cancer survivors to reduce the cancer incidence and burden across the country.
