New research out of Harvard found that surgeons may be much more likely to die from cancer than other doctors or workers in other industries, but they stopped short of explaining why that’s the case. Could there be more risks in the operating room for the surgeon than we realize? We explore the findings from the study in today’s blog.
Cancer Mortality Rate Among Surgeons
The study “Mortality Among Surgeons in the United States,” published in JAMA Surgery, took a closer look at the leading causes of deaths among surgeons and other worker groups. In all, more than 1,000,000 death records were assessed, including that of 224 surgeons and 2,740 other physicians. After looking at the data and reviewing mortality rates, researchers uncovered:
- U.S. surgeons have a cancer mortality rate more than two times that of non-surgeon physicians.
- U.S. surgeons have a cancer mortality rate more about 20% higher than most non-physician workers.
- Cancer was the only category in which surgeons showed a higher mortality rate than all other surveyed workers.
Researchers say that it’s possible that workplace factors may be driving the excess cancer deaths, but they can’t say for certain. However, other factors could definitely be at play. For example, many surgeons may seek out a career in medicine due to a health-related hardship in the family. Many are called to medicine for a similar reason, and while it doesn’t totally explain the difference between surgeons and non-surgeon physicians, it’s possible that surgeons have a higher risk of cancer due to genetics and a family history of the disease. Until we learn more, we’re just guessing at the root cause.
While the cancer numbers are concerning, other numbers leave us a bit more optimistic. For example, surgeons were the least likely group studied to die from other health conditions like:
- Influenza
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Septicemia
- Diabetes
There’s some good and bad with this study, but it does shine a light on a potential issue that surgeons should be aware of. Just like their patients, surgeons should make sure they are screened for cancers and other diseases at the recommended ages. Prevention and regular check-ups can go a long way in keeping cancer from becoming a fatal concern.
We do what we can to maintain optimal health as we age, but we know cancer is never fully preventable, so we’ll keep tabs on our health as we age, and you should too! And as always if you need help overcoming a health issue of your own – mainly a foot or ankle issue – reach out to Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.