The cost of cancer-related care is projected to increase 34 percent in the next decade, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Researchers looked at 13 years of cancer statistics from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare database and used claims from 2007 to 2013 to estimate costs by cancer site, phases of care and stage of diagnosis. Overall cancer care costs, including medical care and oral prescriptions, were $183 billion in 2015, and researchers project that number will increase to $246 billion by 2030, based only on population growth.
The study revealed considerable variation in costs by cancer site and stage. Researchers found that costs at the end-of-life stages were highest at $105,500 per patient per year, followed by the initial phases at $41,800.
More articles on oncology:
Hospitals worldwide brace for escalation of cancer cases
4 oncologist compensation trends
Affiliates of top cancer hospitals have lower survival rates, study finds