Source: Stepehen Moore and Tomas J. Philipson, “The Economic Value of Eliminating Cancer,” (working paper 35052, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 2026).
Commentary: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, with about 142 deaths per 100,000 individuals as of 2023. If cancer deaths were to be fully eliminated by 2030, over the subsequent 35 years, 30.7 million deaths would be averted, saving 380 million years of life. These additional years of life would also yield substantial economic benefits, as each year of life generates economic value, increased productivity, and tax revenue. In their report, Stepehen Moore and Tomas J. Philipson estimate that the elimination of these deaths would result in about $186 trillion of economic value between 2030 and 2064. This is equivalent to about $15,000 per American per year in generated value, or $39,000 per American household per year. If one were to consider cancer elimination as an R&D investment, the return on investment would be between 537 and 965 percent. The authors also consider the economic benefits of a near-elimination of cancer deaths in the United States. They find that if cancer mortality were reduced by 80 percent over a 20-year period, $130 trillion in economic value would be generated.
