Ongoing care of patients after primary treatment for their cancer.

Nearly nine million people living in the United States have had a diagnosis of cancer. As the population ages, this number will increase. Most of these people will need follow-up care to deal with problems related to their cancer.

Benefits and costs of screening and treatment for early breast cancer. Development of a basic benefit package.

Objective: To develop a basic benefit package for detection and treatment of early breast cancer by evaluating the effectiveness and costs for screening mammography, primary surgery, adjuvant therapy, and follow-up care.

Data Sources: Published articles were retrieved through MEDLINE; additional articles were obtained through searches of their bibliographies. Cancer statistics were taken from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data, population statistics were taken from US Census data, and charges from 1993 Southern California Medicare fees were used to represent costs.