ABSTRACT

Citizens of well-developed nations are living longer than their ancestors. However, as citizens age their chances of developing cancer tend to increase. The costs associated with cancer can be high. These costs are related to cancer patient treatment, symptom relief and recovery, and loss of patient and family member worker productivity and income. Logically, if enough citizens within a nation require cancer care, then the healthcare and fi nancial cost to a nation can become high and economically debilitating.