Chi M Nguyen, Paul G Yeh, Mai P Nguyen, et al. Cancer Res Commun. 2025 Oct 1;5(10):1852-1864
Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death and among the costliest cancers to treat in the United States. This study highlights the substantial economic burden of mCRC, with medical and prescription costs nearly twice those of nonmetastatic cases. Among 25,169 patients, 32.8% had metastasis at diagnosis. Treatment and care utilization were consistently higher for patients with mCRC, with the greatest disparity in pharmacotherapy use (79.1% vs. 26.9%), followed by ED visits (65.4% vs. 48.1%), hospitalizations (91.1% vs. 84%), radiotherapy, and hospice care. Medical and prescription charges for patients with mCRC ($353,255 and $5,745) were nearly double than those for non-mCRC ($182,000 and $2,406), as were out-of-pocket expenses ($4,032 vs. $2,144 for medical; $319 vs. $188 for prescriptions). Pharmacotherapy was the primary cost driver in mCRC, followed by hospitalizations and ED visits. Initial-care medical and prescription costs were substantially higher for patients with mCRC. These findings underscore the economic burden of metastasis, highlighting potential benefits and cost savings of early detection and intervention strategies such as routine screening. The findings underscore the financial and clinical benefits of early detection and timely intervention, reinforcing the importance of routine colorectal cancer screening to reduce late-stage disease incidence.
15 Apr, 2026