We calculated the shocking cost of a colon cancer diagnosis

"Forty-five thousand dollars: That's our best estimate of what the first year of cancer costs in your mid-30s. It's the equivalent of a first-time down payment on a house, a master's degree, or two years of childcare in an expensive city. Business Insider has spent a year investigating how a surge in young cancer is upending careers, family planning, andhousehold budgets. We found thereare fewreliable estimates for how much a diagnosis actually costs."

"We started with medical bills. Even with insurance, the out-of-pocket costs for surgery, chemotherapy, and specialist visits can run into the thousands of dollars. And that's just the beginning. As dozens of adults with cancer have told us, the true cost of a diagnosis goes far beyond itemized hospital bills and prescription receipts."

""I have to spend a lot of money on specialized toothpaste," said JJ Singleton, who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at 27. "My mouth is so raw that I can't use any of the normal flavors." Rick Rivers, a 43-year-old father of three, takes vitamins and supplements daily after being diagnosed with colon cancer at 30 and kidney cancer at 37. "I spend close to $400 a month just on the holistic end of it," he said. Business Insider consulted with five surgeons and oncologists across the country to map out a typical treatment protocol. We then teamed up with health economists at GoodRx, a drug pricing platform, to estimate out-of-pocket treatment costs for the average patient based on national health survey data. We took into account other costs, such as IVF and physical and mental health therapy, as well as the numerous hidden expenses, from travel back and forth to appointments to the cost of wigs after chemotherapy."

The first-year cost of cancer for someone in their mid-30s is estimated at roughly $45,000, comparable to a house down payment, a master's degree, or two years of expensive childcare. Out-of-pocket medical expenses for surgery, chemotherapy, and specialist visits can reach thousands even with insurance. Additional costs include specialized personal-care items, supplements, IVF, physical and mental health therapy, travel to appointments, and wigs. Some patients spend hundreds monthly on holistic products. Combining treatment protocols with national survey data produces aggregate estimates that reveal substantial, often hidden, financial burdens on young adults with cancer.

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