The relentless increase in health care costs has been difficult to control and is widely believed to be approaching a tipping point that threatens the economic well-being of many nations and their citizens. Although cancer represents only a fraction of total health care expenditures, economists are predicting an increase in the costs of cancer care in the United States from $120 billion in 2010 to $158 billion in 2020.¹ Many factors contribute to this increase including larger numbers of patients with cancer, which is a reflection of the aging population; higher costs of hospitalizations and procedures; and longer survival while on treatment.¹ The steepest increments in cost are projected to be related to the cost of cancer drugs.²

中文翻译：

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融合价值框架的价值

不断增加的医疗保健费用一直难以控制，人们普遍认为它正接近一个威胁许多国家及其公民经济福祉的转折点。尽管癌症仅占医疗保健总支出的一小部分，但经济学家预测美国的癌症医疗保健费用将从2010年的1200亿美元增加到2020年的1580亿美元^。1许多因素促成这一增加，其中包括更多的患者患有癌症，这是人口老龄化的反映；更高的住院和手术费用；并在治疗时有更长的生存期。¹预计成本的最大增长与抗癌药物的成本有关。^2个