Cancer is a medical emergency. It is currently the second-leading cause of death in
the United States. In most countries, it is already ravaging the healthcare system.
Cancer has personal, social, and economic implications. How often have you heard
or seen someone go bankrupt because of the high cost of chemotherapy, radiation
therapy, and surgery? After months to years of treatment, the patient succumbs to
death. In 2019, the National Cancer Institute reported the national economic
burden in cancer care was 21.09 billion US dollars. This does not include the out-of
pocket costs of most patients. This is a huge number! Considering inflation,
inconsistent costs of medical supplies and drugs, and the increasing number of
cancer patients being diagnosed daily, this value will dramatically change for the
worse.
