Financing Cancer Care: Investing in Prevention, Early Detection, and Diagnosis

Globally, cancer claims nearly 10 million lives each year, inflicting immeasurable pain and loss across families, workplaces, and communities. Yet this toll is not inevitable. Estimates suggest that at least 40 percent of US cancer cases are linked to modifiable risk factors, and nearly half of cancer deaths are preventable. In the past 50 years, prevention and early detection have already averted 4.75 million cancer deaths and saved enormous treatment costs for patients and health care systems. 

So, why are we not investing more in prevention, early detection, and diagnosis? While they are often perceived as public goods essential to society, the benefits of early cancer detection and accurate diagnosis do not easily or directly translate into near-term profits. As a result, resources tend to concentrate on treatments with clearer pathways to scale and sustainability. Meanwhile, prevention efforts remain underprioritized, screening uptake is inconsistent, and promising diagnostic innovations often struggle to reach broad adoption.

This report outlines strategies for coordinating operational resources and implementing financial innovations to overcome investment challenges. Redirecting resources toward prevention and early detection offers not only a more cost-effective approach to cancer but also a more equitable and sustainable one.