Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30059534›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

Health services costs for cancer care in Australia: Estimates from the 45 and Up Study.

David E Goldsbury, Sarsha Yap, Marianne F Weber, Lennert Veerman, Nicole Rankin, Emily Banks, Karen Canfell, Dianne L O'Connell

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
70citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

70 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Lifetime direct healthcare costs of treating colorectal cancer: a systematic review.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2023
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  8. Healthcare cost for non-hospital services and pharmaceuticals among breast cancer survivors: an event study.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026
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  15. End-of-life healthcare use and associated costs for First Nations Australians diagnosed with cancer in Queensland, Australia.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
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10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

David E GoldsburyCancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6247-2706
Sarsha YapCancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia.
Marianne F WeberCancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia.
Lennert VeermanCancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3206-8232
Nicole RankinCancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia.
Emily BanksNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Karen CanfellCancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia.
Dianne L O'ConnellCancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCancer care represents a substantial and rapidly rising healthcare cost in Australia. Our aim was to provide accurate population-based estimates of the health services cost of cancer care using large-scale linked patient-level data.

methodsWe analysed data for incident cancers diagnosed 2006-2010 and followed to 2014 among 266,793 eligible participants in the 45 and Up Study. Health system costs included Medicare and pharmaceutical claims, inpatient hospital episodes and emergency department presentations. Costs for cancer cases and matched cancer-free controls were compared, to estimate monthly/annual excess costs of cancer care by cancer type, before and after diagnosis and by phase of care (initial, continuing, terminal). Total costs incurred in 2013 were also estimated for all people diagnosed in Australia 2009-2013.

results7624 participants diagnosed with cancer were matched with up to three controls. The mean excess cost of care per case was AUD$1,622 for the year before diagnosis, $33,944 for the first year post-diagnosis and $8,796 for the second year post-diagnosis, with considerable variation by cancer type. Mean annual cost after the initial treatment phase was $4,474/case and the mean cost for the last year of life was $49,733/case. In 2013 the cost for cancers among people in Australia diagnosed during 2009-2013 was ~$6.3billion (0.4% of Gross Domestic Product; $272 per capita), with the largest costs for colorectal cancer ($1.1billion), breast cancer ($0.8billion), lung cancer ($0.6billion) and prostate cancer ($0.5billion).

conclusionsThe cost of cancer care is substantial and varies by cancer type and time since diagnosis. These findings emphasise the economic importance of effective primary and secondary cancer prevention strategies.

Indexed as

Health Care CostsAgedAged, 80 and overAntineoplastic AgentsAustraliaCase-Control StudiesFemaleHealth ServicesHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedNational Health ProgramsNeoplasmsAntineoplastic Agents

Identifiers

PMID30059534
PMCPMC6066250

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.