Evaluation from population registry data of health care expenditure during the 6 months after cancer diagnosis.

It is currently estimated in France, that the cost of cancer has risen to $3.8 billion, with an annual growth of 5-10%. This represents approximately 6% of all health expenditure. The data from the Registry of Tumors in the Doubs region have enabled us to make an evaluation of health expenditure, reimbursed by the French Securite Sociale (S.S.), and its distribution in relation to different activities (diagnosis, type of treatment, follow-up, transport), according to cancer site. In 1984, the average cost per patient within the first 6 months of the illness was evaluated at $4,000. The results show major differences for the cancer sites, care facilities and budget items. Diagnosis assessment represents 27% of all expenditure, surgery 37%, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and transport, 11% each. All kinds of expenses are fully reimbursed by the French S.S. and transportation, which at the beginning used to avoid hospitalization, is now used as a comfort system and represents a high cost to the S.S. The different costs for the same illness between private, general public and university hospitals do not reflect a difference in care, but rather different systems of calculating and functioning. Till now there has not been any logical evaluation of care in the French health system.