Cancer: There’s a Lot We Can Do
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Check out this World Cancer Day infographic. Did you know that while cancer is the second-deadliest disease in the world, one-third of cancers are preventable? You might also be surprised to learn that genetic mutations count for only 5-10% of cancers and that 27% of cancers are related to tobacco and alcohol use.
Cancer is consistently a top concern for employers since it is one of the costliest conditions in employer health plans. Driving this spend are new therapies that have been entering the market at an accelerated pace. Growth in spending on cancer medicine is projected to average 12-15% in the US over the next five years.
So what can employers do? Focus on cancer prevention – engage your employees in reducing their risk of cancer through a healthy diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight. Implement a health plan strategy that promotes early detection and diagnosis and supports timely and accurate treatment. In addition to the cancer programs offered by your health plan, there are several specialty vendors in the market that offer a variety of services from prevention and risk identification to care navigation and access to clinical trials. With so many options in the market, the opportunity exists to create an effective cancer strategy on any budget.
