- Design
- Cross-sectional analysis of national health expenditure data
- Population
- 218 countries and territories; 77 with comparable data
- Primary outcome
- Per-capita recurrent spending on cancer control
- Effect
- High-income $173.4 vs lower-middle-income $3.9 vs low-income $0.4 per person
A cross-sectional study in The Lancet Oncology (22 September) searched for national data on recurrent spending on cancer control across 218 countries and territories. Usable data existed for only 81 (37%), most from national health accounts, with a median data year of 2018.
Average annual spending on cancer control per person was $88.90 overall: $173.40 in high-income countries, $15.70 in upper-middle-income, $3.90 in lower-middle-income and $0.40 in low-income countries (2022 US dollars).
India falls in the lower-middle-income group, where the average is about one forty-fifth of high-income spending. The authors' main point is that without disease-specific health accounts, governments cannot see what they spend, and so cannot plan.
- Expect resource constraints to shape regimen choice in lower-middle-income settings
- Support local data collection on cancer spending and outcomes where possible
- Consider cost and access in treatment discussions, not only efficacy
- Use national schemes and patient-assistance programmes to bridge gaps
Why it matters
It puts a number on the gap between trial-based standards of care and what health systems can fund.
Don't overread it
Only 37% of countries had data, mostly from around 2018, so current spending may differ.
The statistics, in plain English
Standard deviations larger than the means ($145 on $89) show spending varies enormously within groups. Data from 2018 and from fewer than four in ten countries mean these are rough benchmarks, not precise figures.
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