Economics of Hematopoietic Growth Factors

Abstract

Health care costs have risen steadily and now exceed US $1 trillion annually, including nearly US $150 billion for cancer care (1,2). By the year 2010, it is projected that health care expenditures in the United States will approach US $3 trillion with US $300 billion spent on cancer care (Fig. 1) (3). Approximately 90% of medical costs for cancer care are associated with five diagnoses: breast cancer (24%), colorectal cancer (24%), lung cancer (18%), prostate cancer (18%), and bladder cancer (8%) (4,5). Hospital care represents the largest single cost component, accounting for 40–50% of total cancer care costs (2). Other major components of health care costs include physician/ professional costs and to a lesser extent pharmaceutical and home care costs. The direct medical costs of cancer care are greatest during the period of initial diagnosis and treatment (6). Other illness-related costs in patients with cancer include direct nonmedical costs such as transportation and child care and indirect costs associated with illness-related morbidity and lost earnings owing to premature death from disease. Some intangible costs of illness for the patient and family relate to the impact on quality of life (QOL).