Cancer Drug Development Economic Issues Special Health White Paper

Cancer Drug Development

Economic issues

Special health needs

Process (decision, steps) involved in program

Benefits of program

Cancer is amongst fatal diseases that involve abnormal growth of body cells resulting is unusual growth and division of cells. The result is tumor formation effecting one particular or many parts of the body. Since there is high probability of cancer cells invading the neighboring tissues of body parts, early detection and careful treatment of cancer is deemed absolutely necessary. The treatment is not only costly but involves multi-stage radiation treatments (Castro, 2001). More than 13% of human deaths world over are caused by cancer related diseases. Since the treatment of cancer diseases is costly throughout the world, new drug development also involves multi-million R&D on cancer drugs. Series of rigorous tests are conducted in laboratories before cancer drugs are approved for being administered to patients. Drug development process involves preclinical and translational work. This white paper is aimed at presenting major issues in cancer drugs including economic issues, special needs of specific population being served, process and steps involved in program, and benefits of drug treatment program. Visuals will also be added in this paper to help brief the potential patients regarding the drug treatment process.

Cancer Drug development

Thesis statement

New drug development for cancer involves multi-million R&D investments. On the other hand, patient cost for obtaining cancer treatment is also high and includes multi-stage difficult treatments. To help aid this process, our company has developed a new cancer treatment drug that will be administered through a need-based treatment program implementation. This will help address the economic issues of patients requiring cancer treatment; will serve special needs of intervention population, and provide specific health benefits to participant patients.

Economic issues

Burden of illness: The burden of illness from cancer diseases has been reported by many intervention studies.Yabroff, et al. (2004) cited data from 2000 National Health Survey in which data from 1823 cancer survivors was tracked. Results showed that the burden of illness from cancer was significant in many life-areas of patients such as summary measure of health, days lost from work, and health utility lost.

The patients loose productivity as they are rendered immobile due to cancer treatment. Days lost from work were reported to be 65 out of 260. Self rated health status of cancer patients was also less as compared to non-cancer patients. In all cancer types i.e. prostate, colorectal, lungs, and breast cancer, worst health outcomes results in increased expenditure on health. Additional use of health services also severs the mobility of cancer patients and also reduces their economic prospects due to continued treatments.

Caregiver burden is also involved when treating cancer patients. Loss of work on part of caregiver is also an economic loss and continued absence from work is mandated for caring the cancer patients. The cost of illness for cancer patients is both direct and indirect. Phase-specific cost of treatment along with long-term economic expenses is also part of cancer treatment. The most effected group of cancer patients was observed to be one having being diagnosed the diseases recently. The new diagnoses reduced the number of working days significantly.

Special health needs

Cancer patients have special health needs to be met at regular intervals. McIllmurray, et al. (2007) reported that there are several health needs of cancer patients that are different from other ailments. The patients require assistance from healthcare professionals as well as information regarding their recovery and health. Support network of friends, family, and other social acquaintances is also….....