Are There Types of Early-Stage Adenocarcinomas That Are Insurable?

Abstract

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. With the introduction of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), detection of adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) are increasingly being found in young, never-smoking females in Asia. There are survival studies suggesting that these early cancers, with resection, have no recurrence in 5 and even 10 years and therefore might be considered cured, allowing for favorable underwriting consideration for life insurance. However, other studies have shown incidences of secondary primary lung cancers (SPLCs) occurring within 10 years after surgical resections of AIS and MIA tumors, but with their clinical course and response to treatment appear to be better than original primary lung cancers, potentially still allowing for insurance with rating. The goal of this article is to review the evidence both for and against insuring these populations of lung cancer patients.