Economic Impact of Cancer in the United States

Abstract
This chapter discusses the economic impact of cancer in the United States. Three categories of cost domains are identified: direct costs, resulting from the use of resources for medical care; indirect costs, resulting from the loss of economic resources and opportunities associated with disease and treatment; and psychosocial costs, such as pain and suffering. The measurement of health care costs, source of data on the costs of medical care, and approaches to estimating the economic burden of cancer are discussed.