Damon Runyon Researchers

Mark is a cancer surgeon and health economist. He is examining one of the hidden barriers to surgical oncology access in head and neck cancer—that of non-medical costs. For 81 million people every year, surgery leads to catastrophic impoverishment, but only 40% of that is due to the direct medical costs of surgery. The rest is due to the hidden costs of transportation, food, and lodging necessary to get surgery. He proposes to design and optimize a cash transfer for patients with head and neck tumors in a low-income West African country. The effects of this cash transfer on surgical oncology utilization will then be tested in a randomized, controlled trial. These findings could apply globally to improve access to cancer care.