Less wealthy people have 10% lower chance of surviving five years after cancer diagnosis

Less wealthy people have an average of 10 percent lower chance to survive for five years or more after a cancer diagnosis than fellow sufferers who have it better financially. This difference between the groups does eventually fall: the later in the disease process, the less difference. The Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL) reported this. The chances of the disease returning or worsening vary little when it comes to income.

People with less money report symptoms like fatigue, pain, and fear more often. “This points to significant differences in qualify of life being experienced during and after the treatment,” the center said. Cancer patients in the lower income groups also have more problems with work-related issues like long-term absenteeism and losing their jobs.

Patients who have or have had cancer are more often given aftercare like physiotherapy if they have a higher income than less wealthy patients: 35 percent compared to 31 percent.

However, the last mentioned group uses social work more often: 10 percent compared to seven percent. It also turns out that the less wealthy people seek out medical help more often in the last six months of their lives.

According to the IKNL, the differences in survival rates and quality of life in cancer patients can partly be explained by the treatment, the extent to which people can process information about their health and treatment, and their living conditions.

For the classification into income, the researchers used data from Statistics Netherlands: the disposable (net) annual household income per postcode area, corrected by the size and composition of the household. Therefore, the amounts differ.