Cost aspects of palliative cancer care.

Increasing concern is evident about the cost of palliative cancer care, a concern stemming from both government interest in cost containment and the growing nongovernment use of payment rates that are fixed in advance. In general, data on the cost-effectiveness of palliative cancer care are mixed; some types of palliative care appear to increase costs, while other forms may reduce overall costs of treatment. Pain management, however, is an area that seems to present significant opportunity for cost savings in palliative care if oral medications are used instead of high-technology modalities.