The Cost of Cancer Treatments

The vast majority of oncologists (84%) say that they consider costs to the patient when recommending cancer treatments. But fewer than half of oncologists frequently discuss cost issues with their patients. These are some of the results of a national survey conducted by Peter Neuman, ScD (Tufts Medical Center) and CBSSM's former Director Peter A. Ubel, MD, funded by the California HealthCare Foundation. Results were published in the January 2010 Health Affairs. Ubel comments: "Oncologists understand, from up close, that cancer diagnoses and treatment leave many people bankrupt. They want to do what is medically right for their patients, but they are struggling to figure out what, at the same time, is economically right for them." Read the article here.