Childhood cancer. Medical costs.

The financial burden of cancer treatment is a major source of stress for families of children with cancer. A previous study demonstrated that out of pocket nonmedical costs incurred because of the illness were consuming 26% of the weekly budget. A one-month sampling of medical charges were collected for 64 families of children undergoing outpatient treatment of cancer. Families of ten patients who had died also participated; total cancer center medical charges throughout the illness were collected. Monthly charges for living patients varied greatly with diagnosis, ranging from $100 to $1800. Total cancer center charges throughout the illness for the decreased patients ranged from $8000 to $53,000 (mean, +34,558). More than 50% of the charges were incurred in the diagnostic and terminal stages of illness. One sign of the hardship endured by the families was the outstanding debts to the cancer center long after the patient's death. Medical costs constituted an average of 5.8% of the families' weekly budgets. Overall, medical costs to the family were found to be much less than the nonmedical costs incurred during treatment.