Cancer costs and trends for newly diagnosed malignancies at an academic institution.

8Background: The financial cost of cancer is a large burden and continues to rise substantially. Expenditures can be divided into the initial phase after diagnosis, the continuing phase, and the last year of life. Typically costs are greatest in the initial phase and last year of life. The major determinant of cost during the initial phase is hospitalizations. We sought to examine cancer costs of patients with newly diagnosed malignancies at an academic institution during the initial phase and compare outcomes based on insurance status. Our institution serves a significant portion of South Texas, a population facing serious cancer health disparities. Methods: This was a prospective, non-randomized study evaluating patients with new cancer diagnoses from 2014-2016 at an academic hospital. Patients meeting eligibility criteria were screened and consented for participation. A total of 74 patients were included in analysis. Results: The average age was similar in both the self-pay group and the insurance grou...