Cancer accounts for approximately 13% of all deaths worldwide, and in 2010 the estimated total cost of cancer in the USA was more than US$263 billion. Biomarker use for screening, monitoring, diagnosis and treatment optimization has the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs associated with inappropriate (or suboptimal) therapeutic regimens. Since a new technology may have additional initial cost, a policy question arises regarding whether the improvement in outcomes is attained at a 'reasonable' additional cost compared with existing technology. This paper presents an overview of health economic issues surrounding biomarkers in general, with a focus on cancer care and treatment optimization in particular. While this article is not a systematic review of the literature, it includes relevant examples to provide a real-world perspective.
Keywords: biomarkers; cancer; economics.