The global financial crisis may have caused an additional 500,000 cancer deaths from 2008 to 2010, according to a new study, with patients locked out of treatment because of unemployment and healthcare cuts.

    The figures were extrapolated from an observed rise in cancer deaths for every percentage increase in unemployment, and every drop in public healthcare spending. "From our analysis we estimate that the economic crisis was associated with over 260,000 excess cancer deaths in the OECD (34-member Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) alone, between 2008-2010," said Mahiben Maruthappu of Imperial College London.  "This suggests that there could have been well over 500,000 excess cancer deaths worldwide during this time." For the European Union alone, the estimate was 160,000 additional deaths - a term used to describe people who would not otherwise have died. 

    For the United States, the estimate was 18,000 and for France 1,500. For Spain and Britain, which provided universal healthcare, no additional deaths were calculated. "Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide so understanding how economic changes affect cancer survival is crucial," said Dr. Maruthappu.  "We found that increased unemployment was associated with an increased cancer mortality, but that universal health coverage protected against these effects," added Dr. Maruthappu. 

    "This was especially the case for treatable cancers including breast, prostate and colorectal cancer." The researchers used World Health Organisation and World Bank statistics on more than 70 countries with more than two billion inhabitants to analyse the link between unemployment, public healthcare spending and cancer mortality.

Source ; QNA