I am enthusiastic about this 6-part series titled Conquering the Cancer Care Continuum. Each edition of CCCC will address an important topic in oncology management and offer expert stakeholder commentaries.

This, the first issue in the second annual Conquering the Cancer Care Continuum series, focuses on palliation in cancer care. Future articles in the series will explore oncology pain management, hospice care options, treatment planning through the cancer care continuum, survivorship care programs, and the role of biosimilars in supportive care.

The evolution of drug research and development toward oral therapies for cancer over the past decade has created a number of questions for the oncology healthcare provider.

It is well documented that healthcare costs and spending have been growing at staggering rates. Healthcare accounts for ~17% of total gross domestic product (GDP) in the United States.

Dr Hansen’s article brings to light financial aspects of healthcare that we do not often consider. A recent economic analysis showed the total cost of cancer care in the US reached $209.9 billion in 2005.