America spends twice as much on cancer care as the average high-income country, but its cancer mortality rates are only slightly better than average, according to a new analysis by researchers at Yale University and Vassar College, who published their findings on May 27 in JAMA Health Forum.
“There is a common perception that the U.S. offers the most advanced cancer care in the world,” said lead author Ryan Chow, an M.D./Ph.D. student at Yale. “Our system is touted for developing new treatments and getting them to patients more quickly than other countries. We were curious whether the substantial U.S. investment on cancer care is indeed associated with better cancer outcomes.”
Out of the 22 high-income countries included in the study, the United States had the highest spending rate.
