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Landmark study shows annual scans reduce lung cancer deaths by 20 percent, but expert groups are not yet recommending such discounted testing because of concerns over complications and overall health costs.

The health reform discussion has been focusing on the systemic impact of health care costs, but somewhere in the bar graphs detailing trillions of dollars in projected spending, the daily experience of the cancer patient has been lost.

Oncologists, trained to consider the clinical implications of their decisions, are unavoidably placed in the middle of an economic predicament. To what extent should economic considerations be a factor in prescribing decisions? In the world of medicine, this dilemma is not peculiar to cancer, but with no other disease are the stakes as frequently or as starkly presented.

Research shows they daily experience of cancer patients often includes a heavy financial burden that impacts both their quality of life and satisfaction with care. Meanwhile, other data reflects the high-stakes position of oncologists, who often are the midpoint between cancer therapies and their costs.