Older cancer survivors who were more physically active after diagnosis had lower healthcare costs than those who were less active, according to a study published Oct. 21 in Cancer.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society analyzed Medicare claims and survey data for 12,268 cancer survivors ages 65 and older to assess how physical activity before and after diagnosis related to healthcare costs.
Here are three notes from the study:
- Survivors whose physical activity remained low before and after diagnosis had higher annual healthcare costs than those whose activity increased from low to high after diagnosis. The additional costs were $3,641 for stage 0 cancers, $2,160 for local-stage cancers and $7,617 for regional- or distant-stage cancers.
- Among survivors with stage 0 cancers, those who were inactive before diagnosis had $22,734 in healthcare costs in the year after diagnosis, compared with $18,922 for those who met physical activity guidelines.
- Among survivors with regional or distant-stage cancers, those who were active before diagnosis and slightly reduced their activity afterward had annual healthcare costs about $5,411 lower than those who were inactive both before and after diagnosis.
Read the full study here.
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