In 2018, 0.52%* of all women in the United States were living with breast cancer [3]. That same year, breast cancer was the 7th leading cause of death for women. Although a small percentage of breast cancer cases and deaths each year occur in men, the overwhelming incidence and mortality occur in women, thus, majority of breast cancer research and care is focused on women.
Medical services and prescription drug costs vary depending on phase of care and stage of disease at diagnosis. Annual average breast cancer-attributable costs are highest for patients at the end-of-life phase ($75,900) [4]. National costs, however, for breast cancer care are highest in the continuing phase ($13 billion), likely explained by the large population of breast cancer survivors in this phase [4].
Research also indicates that annual indirect costs per woman, including the value of lost work earnings and home productivity, are higher for patients with metastatic breast cancer compared to patients with localized cancer [5]. Women with metastatic breast cancer also have a lower 5-year relative survival rate (30.0% vs. 99.1%) [6].
* Age-adjusted, based on 5-year limited duration on January 1, 2018