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Current Issue Article:

Navigating an Increasingly Complex Treatment Paradigm in the Management of Breast Cancer: Optimizing Clinical and Economic Outcomes with Targeted Therapy

Approximately 300,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States (U.S.). Lifetime risk in women is 12.8 percent. In the U.S., breast cancer has the highest treatment cost of any cancer accounting for 14 percent of all cancer treatment costs. Total annual medical cost is estimated at $26.2 billion plus $3.5 billion for prescription medications. The amount that patients pay for breast cancer care can vary widely. A typical woman with employer-sponsored coverage who is diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer can expect to pay $5,800 out-of-pocket, including premiums. On average, cancer survivors have annual losses in work productivity (due to missed work-days and employment disability) that are more than $1,000 higher compared to people without a cancer history. Some cancer survivors are not able to return to work, while others report not being able to perform all tasks because of illness or distress.
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