Your income level affects survival of lymphoma

Forgive me if I sound cynical at the end of this post, but as you read it, you’ll very likely guess why.

According to a study published in the most recent issue of the journal, Cancer, if you are in the United States and have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), whether you receive appropriate treatment and survive has a lot to do with your socioeconomic standing, regardless of ethnic background.

The lack of money affects everything from first seeing the doctor to treatment. People in lower socioeconomic brackets have less money to pay out of pocket, less ability to lose work time if they have a job, less likely to have insurance, and therefore less likely to be able to pay for treatments and follow-up visits.

But honestly, is any of this a surprise? And is it reserved to those with NHL? No, I doubt that it is. Lower socioeconomic = poorer healthcare in most cases, so news like this isn’t really news, is it?

~~~~

Tags: cancer blog, non hodgkins lymphoma, NHL, lymphoma