Canadians diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers bear an average of $32,778 in cancer-related costs over the patient’s lifetime, a new report suggests. Those costs include out-of-pocket expenses, time costs, and lost income due to unemployment.
Societal costs cited include expenses to the health-care system, as well as to patients and caregivers. These expenses are expected to surge by 23 percent over the next decade, partly due to population growth and aging, and better outcomes for cancer survival, according to the report.
The report cited the experience of Vanessa Percoco, a patient diagnosed with colorectal cancer two years ago who paid more than $4,000 for prescription drugs.
“It was a huge financial load to carry,” she said. “There were months when I wondered how I was going to pay the rent. The end of every month was a source of stress because I knew I’d have to call my dad and ask him for the money I was short.”
Percoco also paid for other major expenses, such as physiotherapy sessions, physical consultations, and visits to a nutritionist, the report said.
The average lifetime cancer cost per patient in Canada, nearly $33,000, includes $16,018 in out-of-pocket expenses like prescription drugs, transportation, devices, caregiving, vitamins, and supplements, according to the report. Another $11,199 covers time costs, which account for the time spent travelling to, waiting for, and receiving care. The remaining $5,560 represents indirect costs, such as lost income and productivity.
While out-of-pocket costs for patients and caregivers accounted for $3.7 billion of the total societal cost of cancer this year, time costs and indirect costs accounted for $2.5 billion and $1.3 billion respectively. Meanwhile, the health-care system faced $30.2 billion in cancer management costs, including drug therapies, physician services, and some prescription drugs.
Researchers estimate the economic impact for people with cancer and caregivers will increase by $1.3 billion over the next decade, with out-of-pocket costs projected to surge by nearly 20 percent. At the same time, direct costs to the health system are expected to increase by 24 percent by 2034.
“The considerable growth in the number of people and families affected by cancer is the primary driver of these increases in economic impact,” the report said.
The initial phase of cancer care, which covers the first 12 months after diagnosis, is typically the most expensive for patients and caregivers, according to the report. This phase includes treatments like drug therapies and surgery, and accounts for $5.2 billion of the $7.5 billion in costs patients and caregivers shouldered across Canada this year.
The continuing care phase, which involves monitoring and maintenance between the initial care phase and the last year of life, is the most expensive for the health-care system, with an estimated cost of $12.6 billion this year.
