Latest news with #Denlinger
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
U.S. cancer survivors grow to 18.6M predicted to reach 22M by 2035
ST. PAUL, Minn., May 30 (UPI) -- The number of cancer survivors living in the United States is continuing its steady increase, rising to an estimated at 18.6 million as of Jan. 1, according to a study published Friday by the American Cancer Society. That number is projected to exceed 22 million by 2035, and is up from 18 million survivors in 2022, the authors found. Friday's peer-reviewed study, published in the cancer society's CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, also found that about half of those 18.6 million survivors were diagnosed within the past 10 years, and that nearly 4r out of 5 of them were 60 years old and older. The latest figures continue a pattern in which the numbers of U.S. cancer survivors are increasing each year, partly as a result of the growth and aging of the population, but also due to improvements in early detection practices and breakthroughs in cancer treatments. As in its previous estimates, the cancer society collaborated with the National Cancer Institute to tap data from a number of sources, including cancer registries kept by several federal agencies and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, as well as information from the U.S. Census Bureau. Using that data, cancer society researchers determined that among men, the three most prevalent cancers are prostate (3.55 million survivors), melanoma of the skin (816,580), and colorectal (729,550). Among women, the most common cancers were breast (4.3 million survivors), uterine corpus (945,540) and thyroid (859,890). "The increase in cancer survivors in the United States is a testament to the tremendous progress made by cancer research efforts across multiple collaborative stakeholders resulting in improvements in prevention, risk reduction, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, said Dr. Crystal S. Denlinger, CEO of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of leading cancer centers. "While this milestone should be celebrated, it is important to remember that cancer survivors have unique needs during and after treatment, and disparities still exist in the receipt of these life-saving advances," Denlinger said. "Everyone should have access to high-quality cancer care as outlined in the latest evidence-based, expert consensus-driven guidelines. Through persistent research, broadened awareness, and unwavering access to guideline-concordant care, everyone has the potential to benefit from ongoing advances in cancer care and prevention." Though the numbers of cancer survivors continue to increase, racial and socioeconomic disparities in treatment also remain readily apparent, the study found. For instance, Black people with Stage I or Stage II lung cancer were less likely to undergo surgery than their White counterparts by a 47% to 52% margin. Dr. Nikita Sandeep Wagle, principal scientist within the Surveillance & Health Equity Science department of the cancer society and the study's lead author, told UPI she was surprised at "the extent to which treatment receipt differs in Black people compared to White people for some [other] cancers. "For example, only 39% of Black people with early-stage rectal cancer received surgery, compared to 64% of their White counterparts," she said. "Addressing disparities requires improving access to high-quality cancer early-detection, treatment and survivorship resources by expanding access to affordable insurance coverage through public and private programs." Meanwhile, perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the study relates to breast cancer. There, the statistics showed that the number of female breast cancer survivors is projected to jump from today's 4.3 million to 5.3 million by 2035 -- the largest expected survivor growth among the top 10 most prevalent cancers. In 2022, the ACS estimated slightly more than 4 million women were living in the United States with a history of invasive breast cancer. That included more than 150,000 women living with metastatic breast cancer, three-fourth of whom originally were diagnosed with stage I-III disease. One-third of female breast cancer survivors in 2022 were younger than 65, reflecting the relatively young median age at diagnosis of 63 years. The projected increase to 5.3 million female breast cancer survivors and those living with breast cancer by 2035 "is a testament to progress in early detection and treatment of breast cancer -- but it's only part of the story," according to Susan G. Komen, the U.S.-based breast cancer advocacy organization. While lauding the rising number of survivors, the group noted in a statement to UPI that every day this year, "we still lose about 117 people in the United States to this disease, and nearly 43,000 are expected to die from breast cancer in 2025 alone. "Recent alarming trends also show breast cancer diagnoses are rising among younger women, with the disease being the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 20 to 49," they said. Those survivors must also face complex challenges, ranging from loss of fertility and early menopause to fatigue, fear of recurrence and financial toxicity, "especially for those living with metastatic breast cancer. "While survival rates have improved overall, significant disparities remain -- especially for Black women, who continue to face worse outcomes, as the report highlights," Susan G. Komen said. "Continued investment in research, equal access to care, and comprehensive support are essential to ensure everyone -- not just some -- has the chance to survive and thrive." And, as the number of cancer survivors steadily rises, so does the need to keep them healthy, Wagle said. "It is surprising that there are now as many as 18.6 million cancer survivors, meaning more people need health care access to monitor for cancer recurrence, new cancers and side effects of cancer treatment," she cautioned.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Officers searching for 2 people connected to wallet theft at Fairfield Commons Mall
Do you recognize these two people? [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Beavercreek Police are searching for a woman and a man connected to theft at Fairfield Commons Mall, according to a social media post. TRENDING STORIES: At least 2 dead after string of violence in Springfield 1 fired, multiple disciplined as nurses work to unionize at Miami Valley Hospital, organizers claim Local donut shop ranked among top 50 in the US The woman is accused of taking a customer's wallet with the man's assistance from the counter at H&M on May 10. The department posted pictures of both suspects on its Facebook page. If you can ID them, contact Officer Denlinger at (937) 426-1225, extension 157. You can also reach out by email. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police searching for 2 women accused of stealing from children's clothing store
Do you recognize these two women? [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Beavercreek Police are searching for two women accused of stealing from a children's clothing store, according to a social media post. TRENDING STORIES: School employee placed on leave as school, law enforcement investigate allegations Semi crashes through barrier on I-70 causing hours-long closure Pilot who performed at Dayton Air Show dies in plane crash They entered Carter's at The Greene on April 18. The suspects allegedly selected merchandise, placed it in a bag, and left the store without paying. The police department posted security photos on its Facebook page. If anyone can identify them, contact Officer Denlinger at (937) 426-1225, extension 157. You may also email any tips here. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
CBS News
01-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Audit of UPMC finds the healthcare provider used a loophole that cost taxpayers thousands
State leaders said an audit into a UPMC health insurance program found failures to update data and delays in reporting changes led to the state overpaying thousands of dollars. The Pennsylvania Auditor General's Office announced Monday that a performance audit into UPMC's Community HealthChoices insurance program found a loophole that cost taxpayers more than $350,000. The AG's office said the audit revealed that UPMC didn't adequately perform all its required participant assessments. "UPMC either didn't perform their required assessments to see if people were still eligible for care, or when they performed the assessments, they were done too late," said Gordon Denlinger, deputy auditor general for audits. Denlinger said UPMC also didn't notify the state department of human services of eligibility status changes in a timely manner once they became aware. "This is important because DHS uses data from these assessments as a key component in determining how much UPMC gets paid to cover the care provided," he said. "We found instances where DHS paid UPMC for people enrolled in the CHC program who were deceased, went to jail, or were no longer eligible for the program," Denlinger said. He said in the 66 cases they looked at, DHS made incorrect payments for eight participants and overpaid UPMC by about $357,000 in 2022, and the state wasn't able to recover about $121,000 because of restrictions in the contract with UPMC. The Community HealthChoices program of UPMC Health Plan is designed for people who receive long-term supports through Medicare and Medicaid. It served 156,000 people in 2022. The auditors made several strong suggestions to UPMC, including to make sure DHS is informed of status changes on a weekly basis as required. "UPMC needs to make sure there is greater accountability in its management structure to make sure the required assessments are happening timely and on a regular basis," Denlinger said. "We recommend process improvements that include a monthly check of participants against the Social Security Administration's death master file to remove people who are deceased from its rolls. And we recommend contacting all participants at least once a year to make sure their status hasn't changed," he added. He said UPMC has agreed with most of their recommendations. The auditors have some advice for DHS as well. "DHS can make sure that Pennsylvanians get back all the money owed to them when they overpay for services by changing the contract languages to close this loophole, and it can update its contracts to make sure UPMC contacts all participants at least once a year to make sure their status hasn't changed," Denlinger said. A UPMC Health Plan spokesperson provided a statement to KDKA-TV that said: The spokesperson added, "While Medicaid eligibility is determined by the state, UPMC Health Plan recognizes that information obtained by Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) through interaction with participants is a vital part of the state's ability to make such determinations. As such, we continue to support a strong Medicaid program through our partnership with DHS and operate numerous program integrity efforts beyond what is discussed in the audit. This includes the work of our "Special Investigations Unit" that works to detect fraud, waste and or misuse of the Medicaid program, referring more than 2,100 potential cases to DHS or law enforcement."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Audit finds reporting delays for UPMC program cost taxpayers $120K
A state audit found that UPMC's failure to report patient information cost taxpayers more than $120,000 in 2022. Per Deputy Auditor General for Audits Gordon Denlinger, this finding comes after an audit into UPMC's Community HealthChoices contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. He explains that UPMC is required to report to the DHS when someone dies, goes to jail or is no longer eligible for the program. That information helps DHS set the rate it pays to UMPC to provide care to people on Community HealthChoices. However, the audit found that UPMC failed to notify DHS of changes to participants' program eligibility status and didn't consistently provide Community HealthChoices participant eligibility information. As a result, DHS overplayed UPMC by $357,048 in 2022, with $120,977 of that money being unrecoverable. 'UPMC either didn't perform the required assessments to see if people were still eligible for care, or when they performed the assessments, they were done too late,' Denlinger said. The Auditor General's Office found that UPMC needs to report changes to participants' status weekly, which is what's required. We reached out to UPMC about the audit but have not yet heard back. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
