The Cost of CancerCancer treatment spending has risen but remains stable in proportion to total U.S. treatment spending.
The financial costs of cancer treatment are a burden to people diagnosed with cancer, their families, and society as a whole. Cancer treatment accounted for about $72.0 billion in 2004. This is just under 5 percent of total U.S. spending for medical treatment. The additional economic burden of cancer due to morbidity and premature mortality is estimated to be $120.4 billion resulting in a total economic burden of cancer in 2004 of $192.4 billion.
| Year | Amount ($ in millions) | Percent of All Health
Care Expenditures |
|---|
| 1963 | $1,279 |
4.35% |
| 1972 | 3,872 |
4.96% |
| 1980 | 13,049 |
6.01% |
| 1985 | 18,104 |
4.81% |
| 1990 | 27,458 |
4.46% |
| 1995 | 41,200 |
4.69% |
| 2002 | 60,900 |
4.57% |
| 2004 | 72,006 |
4.67% |
Sources: Ries LAG, Eisner MP, Kosary CL, Hankey BF, Miller MA, Clegg L, Mariotto A, Feuer EJ, Edwards BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2001, National Cancer Insitute, Bethesda, MD
Brown ML, Riley GF, SchusslerN, Etzioni RD. Estimating health care costs related to cancer treatment from SEER-Medicare data. Medical care 2002 Aug; 40 (8 Suppl):IV-104-17.
NHLBI Fact Book - 2003. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda. Estimates by NHLBI; data from NCHS, HCFA, the Bureau of the Census, and the Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco. |
