Dr. West Talks About the Escalating Cost of Cancer Care

H. Jack West, MD, medical director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, Washington, describes the rapidly increasing costs of cancer care. More now then ever before doctors are thinking about the cost of care; previously if a treatment benefited the patient the cost did not matter. West explains the costs of cancer care have escalated remarkably and that a significant incremental benefit is not always associated with the higher expenses. An economic discussion needs to take place to discuss the cost/benefit ratios of many treatments.