About RUR 6 bln ($94 mio) a year is spent on treating lung cancer patients, according to Vitaly Omelyanovsky, Director of the Russian Healthcare Ministry’s Center for Expert Review and Control of Healthcare Quality, who spoke at a RIA Novosti news conference on July 31.
“Lung cancer is a complex and dangerous condition that used to be fatal. This type of cancer requires surgery rather than chemotherapy. However, now there are drugs that can prolong a patient’s life,” the expert noted.
Omelyanovsky added that lung cancer is the third or fourth most common type of cancer.
“Among men it is the most common type of cancer, due to smoking. Lately, women have also been smoking more, therefore, it is expected that lung cancer morbidity among women will also increase,” the experts stressed.
He added that first-stage and second-stage lung cancer are difficult to diagnose.
“This condition does not have distinctive symptoms hence such a high mortality rate,” said Vitaly Omelyanovsky. “The economic burden, or how much the country’s economy loses due to lung cancer, is RUR 14.7 bln ($230 mio) per year. Six billion rubles ($94 mio) is spent on treatment while direct expenses on hospital care accounts for 60% and quota medication accounts for 25%.”