The costs of mesothelioma care are among the highest of any cancer treatment, and the realities of that financial burden have been clarified by a major new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. The researchers found that cancer-related medical costs average more than $121,000 per year during a patient’s final year of life— with distant-stage cancers consistently generating the highest costs across all cancer types.
Mesothelioma Patients’ Financial Hardship Compounded by Advanced Stage at Diagnosis
Mesothelioma has a multi-decades-long latency period, and this means that most patients are not diagnosed until their disease has already advanced to stages where treatment options are limited, and costs are highest. The financial impact of being diagnosed at a late stage is made clear by the new study, which used SEER-Medicare data from individuals aged 66 and older diagnosed with cancer between 2008 and 2019.
Writing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the researchers found that cancer-attributable medical costs varied dramatically by stage, with medical service costs averaging $45,063 in the first year after diagnosis, $7,141 per year during continuing treatment, and $121,746 on average in the final year of life. It is during this most expensive care associated with end-of-life that mesothelioma patients frequently spend significant time. Oral prescription drug costs during the end-of-life phase also rose sharply over the study period, climbing from $4,800 in 2013 to $11,600 in 2019. This trend is driven by increasingly expensive novel treatments, including the immune checkpoint inhibitors that are now standard first-line therapy for mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Families Bear Long-Term Financial Burden Beyond Medical Bills
The study underscores a reality that mesothelioma families know painfully well—that the financial burden of cancer extends far beyond hospital bills. “This burden frequently lasts many years after cancer diagnosis and increases the risk of financial hardship, including medical debt, stress and worry, and delayed and forgone care due to cost,” said Dr. Robin Yabroff, scientific vice president of health services research at the American Cancer Society. For mesothelioma caregivers, lost household income from time away from work compounds medical expenses in ways that can devastate families financially, even as they focus on supporting a dying loved one.
The study’s comparison of early versus advanced-stage costs makes clear what the absence of effective mesothelioma screening means in financial terms. There is no effective screening test existing to catch the disease at a more treatable and less costly stage. These findings reinforce the urgent need for earlier detection methods to give asbestos exposure victims the best possible chance at meaningful survival without facing financial catastrophe alongside their diagnosis.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help. To learn more, contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
