National Healthcare Quality Report 2005

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Cancer

Importance and Measures

Mortality
Number of deaths (2005 est.)...............................................................................................	570,280¹
Cause of death rank (2003)...................................................................................................	2nd²

Prevalence
Number of Americans that have been diagnosed with cancer (2001)........................................	9,800,000¹

Incidence
New cases (2005 est.).......................................................................................................	1,372,910¹
New cases of breast cancer in women (2005 est.)................................................................	211,240¹

Cost
Total costⁱ (2005)...........................................................................................................	$209.9 billion³
Direct costsⁱⁱ (2005).........................................................................................................	$74 billion³

Measures

Evidence-based consensus defining good quality care and how to measure it currently exists for only a few cancers and a few aspects of care. Breast and colorectal cancers have high incidence rates and are highlighted in alternate years. The 2004 NHQR highlighted colorectal cancer; this year's focus is on breast cancer— specifically, prevention. The core report measures are:

Mammography
Advanced stage breast cancer
Breast cancer mortality

ⁱ Total cost is composed of the cost of medical care itself (direct cost), in addition to the indirect, economic costs of morbidity and mortality.

ⁱⁱ Direct costs are defined as "personal health care expenditures for hospital and nursing home care, drugs, home care, and physician and other professional services." National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Fact Book Fiscal Year 2004. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

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