AARST_Radon_Reporter_July_2023

20 | July 2023 MEDICAL Medical and Prescription Costs – Lung Cancer For lung cancer alone, the Cancer Trends Progress Report indicates: • Nationally, the total cost of medical care for lung cancer in the US in 2020 was $24 billion. 4 • The per-patient cost to diagnose and treat lung cancer in 2000 was $201,000. 5 FIGURE 2. COST TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT LUNG CANCER Phases of Care Initial Care Continuing Care Last year of Life Total Medical Care $68,293 $12,389 $110,248 $190,930 Prescriptions $3,644 $2,707 $4,581 $10,931 Total $71,937 $15,095 $114,829 $201,861 Lost Earnings Due to Cancer Mortality – All Cancers An often-cited peer-reviewed article on the economic benefit of reducing cancer mortality, “Productivity Costs of Cancer Mortality in the United States: 2000–2020,” projected that the national annual productivity cost of cancer mortality in 2020 would be $147.6 billion. This estimate used the “human capital” method to estimate the present value of lost earnings from paid employment by the individual with the cancer diagnosis based on years of life lost. This total does not include lost earnings for caregivers who forgo paid employment to attend to the needs of the cancer patient for housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, complex medical tasks, medication administration, and assistance with activities of daily living. This study did not measure the value of a life or the probability of living an additional year given survivorship to a particular age. 6 Lost Earnings Due to Cancer Mortality – Lung Cancer As can be seen in Figure 3, earnings lost from paid employment by the individual with the cancer diagnosis due to lung and bronchus cancer was $210,330 in 2010 for each individual case. In aggregate, lung and bronchus cancer cost $39 billion in lost wages for all incidences; this constitutes 27% of all wages lost due to cancer mortality. 7 4 Ibid 5 Ibid 6 Bradley CJ et al 2008. 7 Ibid FIGURE 3. LOST EARNINGS FROM ALL CANCERS BY CANCER SITE AARST 2023 Awards AARST invites nominations for six Association Awards to recognize Radon and Community Leaders who advance the profession. Please consider supporting your colleagues, employees, and community members by making them candidates for an AARST Award. Submit Nominations Here .