New research reveals the non-healthcare costs of chemotherapy for breast cancer patients. It includes the cost of lost productivity, work absence, and ‘out-of-pocket’ personal costs such as paying for transport and parking for treatment, the cost of wigs and new bras, and over the counter medications. The research team say that better targeting of treatment could help avoid placing unnecessary costs upon patients, their caregivers and wider society.

A new study published today is the first to investigate the total non-healthcare cost of chemotherapy to the UK.

It includes the cost of lost productivity, work absence, and personal costs such as paying for transport and parking for treatment, the cost of wigs and new bras, and over the counter medications.

The UEA research team say that better targeting of treatment could help avoid placing unnecessary costs upon patients, their caregivers and wider society.

Prof Richard Fordham, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: «Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and second most common cancer overall with two million cases per year worldwide.

«Most patients require surgery, additional radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or a combination of these to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. Around a third of breast cancer patients receive chemotherapy, but there are grey areas around which patients do and don’t need chemotherapy.

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