US cancer drug use and spending to rise sharply by 2013, followed by diabetes and CNS, says Medco

Expensive new cancer drugs treating increasing numbers of patients could drive cancer drug spending by as much as 15% a year through 2013. At this accelerated rate, oncology drugs will likely rise to the second or third largest trend-driving category by 2015, following only diabetes and central nervous system (CNS) treatments, according to the newly-released 2011 Medco Drug Trend Report which tracks utilization and spending.

Although the incidence of some types of cancers may be decreasing, with better detection the overall numbers of cancers reported in an aging population has increased significantly. Fortunately, due to advanced treatment, the number of US cancer survivors is expected to increase by more than 30% - from 13.8 million in 2010  to 18 million by 2020.

This has heightened demand for oncology specialty drugs - targeted therapies that have increased 6.7%, according to the report by Medco Health Solutions. The drug trend for specialty cancer treatments reached 21.2%, due primarily to unit cost increases of 13.7%.