Being Jobless Could Put You at a Higher Risk of Dying from Cancer

The researchers looked at “treatable” cancer types (breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, and colorectal cancer in both sexes, all of which typically have a 50 percent survival rate) and “nontreatable” types (lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, which both have a five-year survival rate of less than 10 percent).

Using pre-2008 trends, they predicted what cancer death rates should have been and compared their predictions to the actual data from that time period. With 260,000 more people dying from the disease than expected between 2008 and 2010, researchers say higher worldwide unemployment rates, loss of health insurance for those affected, and cuts to public spending on healthcare were to blame.

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But here’s the good news: The study authors note that all cancer types showed decreases in mortality as public spending on healthcare increased. Researchers say this means that access to healthcare plays a significant role in reducing the number of cancer-related deaths. In fact, countries like the U.K., Norway, and Canada were able to avoid a spike in cancer deaths during this period, likely thanks to universal healthcare. 

RELATED: You Won’t Believe How Much More Women Pay for Healthcare Than Men

In short, if lack of coverage due to unemployment is standing in your way of getting to a doctor for screenings or treatments, that could spell big trouble down the road. The costs of healthcare in the U.S. seem to grow every year, and it’s worse for women than men. So while universal healthcare is a hot political topic in this country, this study makes a pretty damn good argument that it’s got some serious merits.