While the ultimate goal of treating cancer is always to find a cure, one important element stands between each patient and optimal care: money. The economic impact of cancer is a powerful influence on the level of treatment available to many families. The pancreatic cancer industry alone costs nearly $1 billion dollars per year in the U.S. alone.
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer affects the relatively large organ located behind the stomach that is responsible for producing a number of digestive hormones, such as insulin. Pancreatic cancer often has no early symptoms, so many cases reach advanced stages before they are discovered.
Overall Cost of Treatment
According to an article published on medscape.com, the average aggregate cost of pancreatic cancer per year in the U.S. is a staggering $881 million. The vast majority (84 percent) of those costs were related to in-house (hospitalized) care, whereas only 9 percent is related to outpatient procedures.
Average Treatment Costs
Average individual treatment costs are expensive, as well. According to a study published in the June 2006 supplement of the "Journal of Clinical Oncology," the average patient diagnosed with pancreatic cancer lives for slightly more than one year. During that time, the average monthly cost of treatment is almost $7,000.
Costs Versus Estimated Lifespan
As a patient approaches death, medical costs rise proportionately. According to the Journal of Clinical Oncology study, the average monthly cost of treatment as the patient moves into his final six months of life can rise to as much as $65,557, with the greatest expensive coming from anti-cancer drugs and treatment, as well as the cost of hospitalization.
Considerations
While these costs are staggering, they do not represent the full amount that it takes to treat an individual with pancreatic cancer. The JCO study did not factor in the of individual surgical procedures, radiation treatment or other indirect costs of treatment. According to the Medscape article, when factoring in all indirect and additional costs of treatment, the total bill reaches $2.6 billion annually in the U.S. alone.
Tags: pancreatic cancer, additional costs, average monthly, average monthly cost, Clinical Oncology, costs treatment, Journal Clinical