Elizabeth A. Calhoun, PhD

On June 29, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005 (H.R. 1812). This legislation authorized the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to oversee the distribution of $25 million in competitive 5-year grants to help underserved communities access health care services.

The Northwestern University Costs of Cancer Program consists ofa series of pilot studies that address the costs of cancer care. Theprogram is designed to serve as a template in preparation for undertakinga large-scale study of a nationally representative sample of cancerpatients-ie, in preparation for a cancer costs and services utilizationstudy in the future. In this article, we outline the theoretical frameworkassociated with a study of cancer costs and summarize findings fromour ongoing pilot studies in this area.

Chemotherapy-induced toxicities often adversely affect patients’ health and treatment plans, and can result in large costs for treatment and care. In addition to the costs associated with direct medical care, a large amount of indirect and out-of-pocket costs can be incurred.