title: Cost of care for cancer patients in England: evidence from population-based patient-level data.
abstract: Health systems are facing the challenge of providing care to an increasing population of patients with cancer. However, evidence on costs is limited due to the lack of large longitudinal databases.
  
  
  
  We matched cost of care data to population-based, patient-level data on cancer patients in England. We conducted a retrospective cohort study including all patients age 18 and over with a diagnosis of colorectal (275 985 patients), breast (359 771), prostate (286 426) and lung cancer (283 940) in England between 2001 and 2010. Incidence costs, prevalence costs, and phase of care costs were estimated separately for patients age 18-64 and ⩾65. Costs of care were compared by patients staging, before and after diagnosis, and with a comparison population without cancer.
  
  
  
  Incidence costs in the first year of diagnosis are noticeably higher in patients age 18-64 than age ⩾65 across all examined cancers. A lower stage diagnosis is associated with larger cost savings for colorectal and breast cancer in both age groups. The additional costs of care because of the main four cancers amounts to £1.5 billion in 2010, namely 3.0% of the total cost of hospital care.
  
  
  
  Population-based, patient-level data can be used to provide new evidence on the cost of cancer in England. Early diagnosis and cancer prevention have scope for achieving large cost savings for the health system.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, City University London, London EC1V 0HB, UK.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laudicella
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, City University London, London EC1V 0HB, UK.
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Imperial College London, London W2 1NY, UK.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Business School, Imperial College London, Tanaka Building, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013222:State Medicine / Q000191:economics; D055815:Young Adult