title: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) experiences with cancer survivorship supplement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of cancer survivorship in the USA is expected to increase in the future because the US population is increasing in size and is aging and because survival following diagnosis is improving for many types of cancer. Medical care costs associated with cancer are also projected to increase dramatically. However, currently available data for estimating medical care costs and other important aspects of the burden of cancer, including time spent receiving medical care, productivity loss due to morbidity for patients and their families, and financial hardship, are limited, particularly in the population under the age of 65.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe selected publicly available data sources for estimating the burden of cancer in the USA and a new collaborative effort to improve the quality of these data: the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) Experiences with Cancer Survivorship Supplement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data from this effort can be used to address key gaps in cancer survivorship research related to medical care costs, employment patterns, financial hardship, and other aspects of the burden of illness for cancer survivors and their families.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Research using the MEPS Experiences with Cancer Survivorship Supplement can inform efforts by health care policy makers, healthcare systems, providers, and employers to improve the cancer survivorship experience in the USA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA. yabroffr@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: K Robin
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Yabroff
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Donatus U
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Ekwueme
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soni
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lerro
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: Laura P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Forsythe
authors.forename: Laurel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borowski
authors.forename: Katherine S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Virgo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D005104:Expert Testimony; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality*; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult