BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Thanks to improved screening rates and modern treatments, there are more than 12 million cancer survivors living in the United States today.

These patients continue to need close monitoring even years after beating their cancer because of higher risks for heart disease, diabetes and additional cancers.

However, new research has found that many cancer survivors go without needed medical care due to the high costs involved.

Doctors from the National Cancer Institute and the University of Connecticut studied more than 6,000 cancer survivors who participated in a government-funded health survey.

They found that 8 percent were doing without general medical care, 10 percent were skimping on prescription drugs, 11 percent lacked dental care and 3 percent did not receive needed mental health services.

African-Americans and Hispanics were twice as likely to go without necessary health care.

And the situation is likely even worse than the study revealed. These results were collected three to six years ago and experts say in the current economic climate many more people are skipping medications and medical appointments because of money problems.