Value of cancer care: ethical considerations for the practicing oncologist

The value of cancer care has emerged at the center of a national discourse on fiscal responsibility and resource allocation. The cost of cancer care is rising at a higher pace than any other area of health care. As we struggle to address this unsustainable rise in cancer expenditures, oncology providers are forced to examine our practice patterns and our contributions to the overall health care cost burden. This article provides an oncologist-centered examination of our duties to individual patients and how they may seem at odds with our duties to society. It also discusses how oncology providers can do their part to contain health care costs while honoring their professional obligation to do their best for each patient.