Family history is one of those life insurance questions that kind of gets people on the defensive. Generally the contention revolves around the fact that the younger person claims that they live an entirely different lifestyle and therefore, whatever happened to their parents doesn’t pertain to them.
I just read an article that kind of slams the whole family history issue into context. In a family of eight men, six were diagnosed with prostate cancer within just a few years of each other.
It started with the older men, brothers, being diagnosed within a short period. It sounds like this wake up call was a call to action with the older men insisting that their sons get tested. This led to an early diagnosis of prostate cancer in three of the younger men, so far.
Bottom line. Family history is relevant. It’s not just a question on an insurance application. It is something you should know and pay attention to. Prostate cancer detected at an early stage and grade and successfully treated gets very fair underwriting treatment.
November 17th, 2007
In all the study and writing we’ve done on the subject of prostate cancer, we’ve uncovered some interesting little tidbits. In an article I cited in a recent post they claimed that 30% of men in their 30’s had prostate cancer at some level. Another study cited some time ago stated that all men will have prostate cancer at some point in their life.
Well, I haven’t found anything to back up the claim about men in their 30’s, so I’m thinking that was actually a typo or something. Maybe they meant 3% of men in their 30’s, which based on other studies I’ve seen doesn’t seem like it would be out of line. As far as all men having it at some point, that seems feasible.
Prostate cancer in most cases is not a horribly aggressive cancer and can go for many years without detection. To think that an older man might have prostate cancer that is never detected and really never contributes to their death is a reasonable assumption.
There has been an assumption of sorts for a long time that prostate cancer is a disease that primarily effects older men, guys like me in our 50’s and 60’s. A recent study in the UK seems to indicate that may not be entirely accurate.
The study involved men in their 40’s, and the percentages of elevated PSA’s and incidences of cancer were almost identical to men in their 50’s. I think it’s important to note that life insurance underwriting doesn’t focus on the age of the person as much as it does that specifics of the pathology, the stage and grade of the cancer.
Bottom line. Men with a family history of prostate cancer should probably be getting their PSA checked when they reach their 40’s and all of us older, post 50, guys should have it checked regularly. Detected early, the survival rate for prostate cancer is very good.
November 17th, 2007
Just when I think I’ve heard it all concerning how stupid or dangerous drinking can be, here we go…….I was too drunk to drive so I had my son drive!
But the son was 13
and was drunk also! The son was charged with DUI.
Bottom line. No life insurance company I can think of would feel justified in making an offer to this 41 year old idiot. And I applaud their wisdom!
November 17th, 2007
