Impact of socioeconomic status on prostate cancer presentation, treatment
October 29th, 2009 Posted in prostate cancer, prostate cancer risksA recent study of the impact of socioeconomic status on prostate cancer presentation, treatment, and prognosis in Geneva, Switzerland, evaluated the impact of socioeconomic status on prostate cancer diagnosis, management, and outcomes over time.
Researchers emphasize the impact of low socioeconomic status on prostate cancer risk — even in nations with a sophisticated national health care system where (at least in theory) everyone should be receiving the same level of care. Whether the problem is educational, motivational, cultural, or economic at the core, what is apparent is that greater efforts are needed to ensure that men of low socioeconomic status get comparable quality of care to their brethren of high socioeconomic status (always assuming that this is a social and moral priority).
The authors conclude that the increased risk for mortality observed in this study is largely attributable to delayed diagnosis, poor diagnostic workup, and less invasive treatments in patients of low socioeconomic status.