Discussion
cancer, pain
CANCER, ADVANCED CANCER, PEPTIC ULCERS, GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE
The findings suggest government funded, out-of-hospital costs are, on average, $2,247 per month for people living with advanced cancer and pain, i.e. approximately $27,000 per year, higher than recently reported MBS and PBS costs for the first 12-months following cancer diagnoses in Queensland, Australia (approximately 2012 A$7,224 per person per year) [A smaller proportion of the Stop cancer PAIN Trial participants received concessional benefits compared with the Australian general population, suggesting patients with advanced cancer could incur greater out-of-pocket expenses [Three of the ten most commonly prescribed medications in the sample were the same as those for the general Australian population in 2019–20; pantoprazole and esomeprazole which are largely prescribed for peptic ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease, and rosuvastatin for lowering high cholesterol levels [