How is cancer
care changing?
Cancer has long been associated with older age, but new data is complicating that picture as several types become more common among younger generations.
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By 2030, early-onset cancer diagnoses are projected to rise by how much?
10%
20%
31%
45%
Projected to rise by 31%.
31%
A projected rise among people under 50 means more adults could encounter complex cancer care decades before retirement.
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Which generations are seeing some of the sharpest increases in cancer incidence?
Gen X and Millennials
The Silent Generation and Gen X
Gen X and Millennials.
Gen X and Millennials
For some cancers, people born around 1990 had rates two to three times higher than people born around 1955.
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Baby Boomers and The Silent Generation
Millennials and Gen Z
Which cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among people under 50?
Brain cancer
Lung cancer
Colorectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer rose from the
fifth-leading cause of cancer death among people under 50 in the early 1990s to No. 1 in 2023.
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Breast cancer
Colorectal cancer
Which health plan approach has shown to deliver similar patient outcomes at a lower cost?
Reducing coverage for chronic conditions.
Limiting access to speciality therapies.
Using alternative sites of care when appropriate.
Using alternative sites of
care when appropriate.
Research shows that high-quality care can often be delivered outside hospital settings at a lower cost, pointing to one way health plans can help make care more affordable.
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Receiving all care in the hospital.
Using alternative sites of care when appropriate.
Which change could help lower health care costs without reducing quality?
Making patients pay more out of pocket.
Keeping pricing information confidential.
Improving data sharing and aligning payment with care site.
Improving data sharing and
aligning payment with care site.
Better data and smarter payment structures can reduce inefficiencies and unnecessary spending while supporting positive patient outcomes.
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Improving data sharing and
aligning payment with care sites.
Reducing insurance coverage options.
Next steps
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is responding to the changing cancer landscape with more coordinated support for members navigating diagnosis and treatment.
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