title: What does breast cancer treatment cost and what is it worth?
abstract: The costs of breast cancer care are substantial and growing, and they extend across the spectrum of care. Medical therapies and hospitalizations account for a significant proportion of these costs. Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is the preferred method for assessing the health benefits of medical interventions relative to their costs. Although many CEAs have been conducted for a wide range of breast cancer treatments, these analyses are not used routinely to guide coverage or utilization decisions in the United States. Currently, patients and providers may not consider costs when making most treatment decisions; this is likely to change as payment reform spreads.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 250 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. michael_hassett@dfci.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hassett
authors.forename: Elena B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Elkin
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans
keywords: Breast cancer; Chemotherapy; Cost; Cost-effectiveness; Hospitalization; Value