There was a slight increase in the number of early-stage cancer diagnoses following the enactment of the ACA in January 2014, according to a study scheduled to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology next month.
The ACA's effect on early-stage cancer diagnoses was small but measurable — about a 1 percentage point increase for each type of cancer studied — according to Bloomberg.
Researchers analyzed data from 273,000 patients under age 65 who were diagnosed between 2013 and 2014 with five types of cancer that can be detected from routine screenings, including breast, lung, colorectal, cervical and prostate tumors. The study found a greater percentage of new breast, lung and colorectal tumors were detected in the first stage in 2014 compared with 2013, primarily in the states that expanded Medicaid.
"People without insurance are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, especially for the cancers that can be detected early through screening or symptoms,” said lead author Xuesong Han, strategic director of health policy and healthcare delivery research at the American Cancer Society.
The study was funded and conducted by the American Cancer Society. Its political advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, is a supporter of the ACA and has opposed Republicans' plans to repeal it, according to Bloomberg.