Costs for Childhood and Adolescent Cancer, 90 Days Prediagnosis and 1 Year Postdiagnosis: A Population-Based Study in Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Treating children with cancer is costly, more costly than treating adolescents or adults. Substantial survival gains in children mean that treatment may still be very cost-effective. Comprehensive age-specific population-based cost estimates are essential to reliably assess the cost-effectiveness of cancer care for children and adolescents, and measure health system performance.

Costs of cancer care in children and adolescents in Ontario, Canada

“…Previously, we reported that first‐year cancer costs in children and adolescents are much higher than in adult cancer patients . The present study indicates that higher costs continue throughout the trajectory of care.…”

“…The treatment of children with cancer is expensive and resource intensive . A recent systematic review identified 40 economic evaluations, but many were from a single institution or had a short time line .…”

“…The treatment of children with cancer is expensive and resource intensive. [3][4][5] A recent systematic review identified 40 economic evaluations, but many were from a single institution or had a short time line. 5 Other studies that measured overall childhood cancer costs are limited by small sample size or include only one type of cancer.…”

Health‐related quality of life in adolescents and young adults with cancer – Including a focus on economic evaluation

“…Very little information exists on AYAs with cancer in terms of economic evaluation of care. A population‐based study in Ontario, Canada, involving 4396 children and 2329 adolescents with a wide variety of cancers, demonstrated that the mean net costs of treatment in the first year after diagnosis were more than twice as high for children ($ 136 413) as for adolescents ($ 62 326) . Of course this difference reflects the very different distribution of cancer types in the two age groups .…”

“…($ 136 413) as for adolescents ($ 62 326). 61 Of course this difference reflects the very different distribution of cancer types in the two age groups. 62 However, the cost of treating ALL in the first year was higher in adolescents than in children, although corresponding incidences of this disease are threefold higher in children <15 years of age than in [15][16][17][18][19] year old adolescents.…”