THE ECONOMICS OF PROSTATE CANCER

Prostate cancer represents a major economic burden to industrial society. Prostate cancer has become the most common cancer among men in the USA. American men with prostate cancer consume 7 times the amount of health care dollars as their age-matched controls. The total cost of prostate cancer care annually in the US is estimated at $5 billion, and the cost of prostate cancer care per patient per year in the US at $25,000. Drug therapy is the most important determinant in fixing these costs, and is increasing in importance, compared to outpatient and inpatient visits, surgery, diagnosis and radiotherapy. There is a trend and markedly increased demand toward novel drug agents that are non-toxic and aimed at "containing" prostate cancer (preventing its growth and spread) rather than killing it.