subject: California Program Aims To Boost Care For Seniors With Cancer [print this page] There was a time that when you reached a certain age and were diagnosed with cancer that the health care community became concerned about the proper course of treatment.
At one time cancer treatment wouldnt have been an option, says Alan Weinstock, insurance broker at www.MedicareSupplementPlans.com. Doctors felt that cancer treatments that were tough on younger people would be much too difficult for the elderly.
However, a 2007 University of Michigan study shows that when older adults are in reasonable health before their cancer diagnosis, they generally respond with great resilience to treatment. And even more recent research shows that chemotherapy in people 70 and older has little negative impact on their mental health and independence.
Difficulty with Treating Seniors with Cancer
Whether you are on Medicare or not, getting treatment for cancer if you are over the age of 65 can still be difficult. Even though 60 percent of all new cancers and 70 percent of all cancer deaths occur in people who are 65 or older, there are few clinical trials for new therapies involving older adults.
This means that calibrating treatment for the elderly is difficult because chemotherapy protocols are based on gender and age findings in clinical trials. And most experts expect that the problem will only increase in the future because of the growing number of baby boomers and cases of cancer for those 75 and older.
This places physicians in the awkward position of being caught between under-treating patients and shortening their lives or compromising the quality of their life with the side effects.
So a pilot program was established at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, Calif. for treating seniors with cancer. The goal is to gather information on the effect of a comprehensive approach for older cancer patients including nutritional evaluation, medical management and support for their family.
Cancer Screenings Available to Seniors with Medicare
It is important for seniors on Medicare to know what screenings Medicare provides when it comes to cancer.
For prostate cancer screening, Medicare covers one PSA test every year AND one DRE test every year for Medicare beneficiaries ages 50 and older. There is no coinsurance or Part B deductible for the PSA test, but they both apply to the DRE test.
Medicare covers one Pap test and pelvic exam every two years for women who are at low risk for cervical cancer and one Pap test and pelvic exam every year for women who are considered at high risk for cervical cancer. In addition, Medicare covers your annual mammogram screening.
Medicare covers colorectal screening tests to help find pre-cancerous polyps (growths in the colon). Screenings include a fecal occult blood test once every 12 months, flexible sigmoidoscopy once every 48 months, screening colonoscopy once every 24 months (if you're at high risk) and once every 10 years, but not within 48 months of a screening sigmoidoscopy (if you're not at high risk). Finally, Medicare covers barium enema instead of a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy every 24 months if you are at high risk for colorectal cancer and every 48 months if you aren't at high risk.
by: SophieBen
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