Cost of cancer care is projected to rise by more than 30% by 2030

The cost of cancer-related care is projected to increase by more than 30% in the next decade, according to a new study. Researchers looked at seven years of Medicare claims data as well as 13 years of cancer statistics from the National Cancer Institute, and sorted data by cancer type as well as the disease stage. They found that costs at the end-of-life stages were highest, at around $105,000 per patient per year, followed by when treatment was first initiated, which was around $42,000 per patient annually. While cancer care overall (including hospital stays and oral prescriptions) cost $183 billion in 2015, researchers estimate that that will increase by 34% to $246 billion in 2030 based solely on population growth. Such projections can help officials plan for ways to prioritize screening, prevention, and early treatment, the authors write.