Although shortages periodically capture national attention when widely used agents such as cisplatin or carboplatin become scarce, the problem extends well beyond any single drug.
Publication|Articles|March 18, 2026
- ONCOLOGY Vol 40, Issue 2
- Volume 40
- Issue 02
- Pages: 84-87
What Events Have Affected the Cost of Cancer Care?: Looking Back on 40 Years of Economics in Oncology
Author(s)Tim Cortese
In each decade since the launch of the journal ONCOLOGY, cancer care has evolved, and with it the finances and costs associated with these improving treatments.
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In 1985, the direct health services costs of cancer care were $18.1 billion.1 In 2015, that number was approximately $183 billion.2 And by 2030, recent estimates suggest the number will be $246 billion. Between just those referenced costs, that totals almost $450 billion dollars without adjusting for inflation.
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