ASH Clinical News December 2014 | Page 57

CLINICAL NEWS On Location American Society of Hematology’s 2014 ANNUAL MEETING When patients cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket for therapy, quality of care also suffers. “Many studies have shown that patients are non-adherent, especially to oral chemotherapy, due to cost,” Dr. Zafar said. “I think of financial toxicity as this combined harmful impact on patient well-being and quality of cancer care.” As much as the problem is multifactorial, so should the solution be. “We need to see change at the level of the patient, the provider, and the health system.” • Patients need better education and understanding about costs The Rising Cost of Medical Care: Understanding the Problems and Exploring Solutions ealth-care spending in the United States is a growing problem: In 2011, it was estimated at $2.7 trillion, more than at any previous time in U.S. history and trumping any other developed nation in the world. The costs of new drugs – and cancer drugs in particular – are rising at a similarly rapid pace. Economists, policy experts, politicians, and practitioners agree that this growth is unsustainable. The field of hematologic malignancie