Cancer Survival Rates Differ Based on Country's Wealth
Cancer Survival Rates Differ Based on Country's Wealth
Wealthy countries where patients have access to diagnostic equipment have higher cancer survival rates than their poorer counterparts. Using data from over two million cancer patients worldwide (from the 1990s), the first major study to compare global cancer survival rates found that the US, Australia, Canada, France, and Japan had the highest five-year survival rate. Algeria had the worst. The UK did not report well compared to other Western European countries although its survival rate has risen this decade.
The US had the highest five-year survival rate for breast cancer (89 percent) and prostate cancer (91.9 percent), compared to the UK 69.7 percent and 51.1 percent respectively. The UK had regional disparity, evidence that access to services matters. To find out what's behind the phenomenon, read more.
Survival rates were clearly tied to how much the countries spent on health. The US spent 13 percent of its GDP, while Europe spent about 10 percent. Algeria spent 4 percent. The tie between money and health played out domestically as well. White Americans were 14 percent more likely than other groups to survive cancer.
Despite this extensive study, one Florida official offered some conflicting anecdotal evidence. Florida's secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration said: "Just because you're poor doesn't mean you're unhealthy; it just means you have a lot more time to go running."
