title: Estimating the Cost of Cancer Care in British Columbia and Ontario: A Canadian Inter-Provincial Comparison.
abstract: Costing studies are useful to measure the economic burden of cancer. Comparing costs between healthcare systems can inform evaluation, development or modification of cancer care policies.
  
  
  
  To estimate and compare cancer costs in British Columbia and Ontario from the payers' perspectives.
  
  
  
  Using linked cancer registry and administrative data, and standardized costing methodology and analyses, we estimated costs for 21 cancer sites by phase of care to determine potential differences between provinces.
  
  
  
  Overall, costs were higher in Ontario. Costs were highest in the initial post-diagnosis and pre-death phases and lowest in the pre-diagnosis and continuing phases, and generally higher for brain cancer and multiple myeloma, and lower for melanoma. Hospitalization was the major cost category. Costs for physician services and diagnostic tests differed the most between provinces.
  
  
  
  The standardization of data and costing methodology is challenging, but it enables interprovincial and international comparative costing analyses.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Reka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pataky
authors.affiliation: University Health Network, Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment Collaborative, Toronto, ON.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Bremner
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON.
authors.forename: Jagadish
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rangrej
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, Cancer Care Ontario, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON.
authors.forename: Kelvin K W
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Calgary, Calgary AB.
authors.forename: Winson Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, St. Michael's Hospital, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hoch
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, British Columbia Cancer Agency, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.affiliation: Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment Collaborative, Faculty of Pharmacy and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, University Health Network, Toronto, ON.
authors.forename: Murray D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Krahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001955:British Columbia; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics*; D009864:Ontario