The global cancer burden is growing. Over 35 million new cases are predicted in 2050, a 77% increase from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022.1 This is reflected in cancer-related health claims within the general healthcare system, which are increasing in both frequency and cost. Based on a study of medical claims data from 43 countries, the number of cancer claims grew by 184% from 2019 to 2023 – and cancer-related claims costs grew by 242%.2
In workers’ compensation, cancer claims can be a significant driver of medical costs, including pharmacy costs, for payers with these claims in their covered populations. According to Healthesystems’ annual survey of workers’ comp stakeholders, slightly more than half of participants said that complex/high-dollar claims are a major challenge.3
Where do we typically see these claims in workers’ comp, and how do prescription drug costs play a role in the economic impact of cancer?
Cable and rubber makers, synthetic latex production, industrial workers, gas workers
Construction workers, metal processing, mining, nickel refining, pickling operations
Chemical plant and refinery workers, rubber manufacturing, petroleum refining, agricultural workers, healthcare workers
Agricultural workers, rubber manufacturing, plastics workers, mining, construction workers, healthcare workers
Welders, uranium mining, copper smelting, iron and steel founding, vineyard workers, roofers, asphalt workers, painters, construction and demolition workers, boilermakers, firefighters, automobile parts manufacturers, bartenders and servers, chemists, printers
Construction workers, Navy veterans, industrial workers, firefighters, powerplant workers, asbestos miners, shipbuilders and shipyard workers, textile mill workers
Agriculture and forestry workers, construction workers, petroleum and chemical industry workers, rubber manufacturing, wood workers, painters, firefighters, railway workers
Boot and shoe manufacturing and repair, carpenters, firefighters, wood and leather workers, metal workers, farmers, construction workers
Construction workers, farm workers, landscapers, roofers, fishing boat workers
Cancer rates – and claims – are on the rise in the overall U.S. population and in healthcare. In one study of more than 65,000 general health claims between 2021 and 2024, cancer was the most frequent and costly condition.8
Why are cancer rates rising? The American Cancer Society attributes the increase to the aging and growth of the population and a rise in diagnoses of six of the 10 most common cancers.9 Science News Today also points out that cancer is “a disease of aging.” With today’s average life expectancy at over 72 years – compared to just 52 years in 1960 – the likelihood that a mutation will escape the body’s defenses and form a tumor increases.10
At the same time, cancer is also increasing among younger people. A groundbreaking study suggests that incidence rates continue to rise in successively younger generations in 17 of the 34 cancer types, including breast, pancreatic, and gastric cancers.11 The American Cancer Society, which authored the study, suggests several possible reasons for increased cancer risk in younger generations12:
While increases in the larger healthcare ecosystem don’t necessarily translate to workers’ compensation, a few evolving factors could contribute to increased cancer claims in workers’ comp. One of these is the identification of new occupational carcinogens over the last two decades. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, 47 agents were identified as known occupational carcinogens in 2017 compared with 28 in 2004.13 And eight substances were added to the most recent Report on Carcinogens, released in 2021, bringing the total list of substances known to cause cancer in humans to 256.14
Another factor in increasing cancer claims is changing work environments, as new technologies can introduce new carcinogenic risks or alter existing ones. For example, raw materials and waste generated by additive manufacturing (such as 3D and 4D printing) could introduce new carcinogenic hazards.15
Another possible driver of cancer claims in workers’ compensation is the explosion of new cancer presumption laws, which make it easier for workers with occupational cancers to qualify for benefits. This is important when it comes to cancer because determining work-related causality is often complicated by the complexity of the disease, disease latency, and individual patient factors.
While cancer may have been rare in workers’ comp claims prior to presumption laws, which first popped up in the early 1980s, it has now become more common. For instance, workers with cancer claims in California are overwhelmingly public safety workers covered by presumptions.16
Today, all 50 states have presumption laws relating to firefighters17 and many states have expanded their presumption laws to different types of cancer and occupations such as lifeguards and peace officers. In early 2025 alone, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nebraska, and West Virginia all introduced bills expanding their cancer presumptions.
Cancer is a cost driver both in workers’ compensation and in general healthcare. Eighty percent of U.S. employers rate cancer as the top driver of healthcare costs.18 And according to workers’ compensation carrier Safety National, cancer claims have been known to turn into claims exceeding $3 million in incurred costs.19
Why are cancer claims so costly? In workers’ compensation, the costs stem from prescription drugs and other cancer treatments in addition to lost-wage benefits and possible litigation expenses.
As far as drugs go, cancer therapies are constantly evolving, and the newer, more effective, and least toxic drugs tend to come with the highest price tags. Some of these treatments are even being adopted as standards of care. That means that while cancer survival rates are higher than ever – cancer deaths have dropped 33% in the last 30 years20 – the cost of cancer is also skyrocketing as new drugs come to market.
In 2024, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved 50 novel drugs, eight of which were cancer drugs.21 And as of this writing, the FDA has approved six novel drugs for treating cancer in 2025.22 These novel drugs can impact individual workers’ compensation claims exponentially. For example, in the United States, a novel anticancer drug routinely costs more than $100,000 per year of treatment.23
Likely because of the pipeline of new cancer drugs in development, the cost of cancer is projected to increase 11-21% every year.24 That’s a lot considering that, based only on population growth, national cancer costs are expected to reach $246 billion by 2030.25
Cancer is a variable and complex area of medicine, and treatment and duration of therapy are equally as complex. In addition to primacy cancer therapies, adjuvant therapy – chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or biological therapy. – may also be prescribed to help offset the adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents.
As mentioned earlier, occupational cancers – and their related therapies – will vary by payer, dependent on covered population. Examples of anticancer and related therapies seen in workers’ compensation claims include:
Given the complexity and chronic nature of cancer, these diseases often require long-term treatment and management to support adherence, maintain quality of life, and ideally achieve remission and/or extend survival. In workers’ compensation, cancer claims demand specialized expertise, and appropriate treatment decisions often hinge on the clinical judgment and insights of the treating physician.
However, there are still opportunities to help ensure optimal utilization of cancer therapies while mitigating their financial impact on workers’ compensation claims. These may include:
