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- Health is more expensive: cancer treatment in Russia has increased dramatically in price
Health is more expensive: cancer treatment in Russia has increased dramatically in price
In 2026, the treatment of oncological diseases of the digestive system became on average 83% more expensive, insurance companies told Izvestia. The treatment of other oncological diseases is becoming more and more expensive. Depending on the type of tumor, the regimen, and the drugs used, the costs may vary significantly. Even with compulsory medical insurance, some people spend from 50% to 100% of family income on necessary procedures and medicines, doctors admit. Why necessary medical services are becoming more expensive and how this affects patients is in the Izvestia article.
Why has treatment become more expensive?
The cost of cancer therapy in Russia has increased significantly, insurance companies told Izvestia. According to AlfaStrakhovanie, prices for the treatment of digestive cancer increased most noticeably in 2026 — by 83%. The average cost per patient exceeds 2 million rubles.
Skin cancer treatment costs increased by 47%, uterine cancer — by 33%, prostate cancer — by 22%, analysts estimate.
"The very structure of cancer care has changed significantly in recent years," Pavel Korolev, head of the AlfaStrakhovanie International Medical Insurance Department, explained to Izvestia. — Modern treatment regimens are becoming more personalized and technologically sophisticated. They require molecular genetic studies, the use of targeted (targeted effect on cancer cells - Ed.) and immune drugs, and long—term patient care.
According to the expert, the use of innovative methods increases the effectiveness of treatment, but increases its cost — the costs of individual cancer insurance programs can amount to millions of rubles.
Over the past two years, cancer care has increased in price by 18%, said Olga Kuptsova, Deputy Director of the Methodology and Underwriting Department of Rosgosstrakh Personal Insurance.
"There are several reasons: inflation in the field of medical services, rising costs for the delivery of original foreign drugs, the transition to modern targeted drugs, more expensive schemes in updated clinical guidelines and currency fluctuations," she said in an interview with Izvestia. — The final cost of treatment depends on the age of the patient, the type of cancer and its stage, as well as the chosen therapy.
So, some drugs for the treatment of breast cancer cost about 145 thousand rubles per package, said Gulnara Orlova, Director of Insurance Products and Customer Experience Development at Rosgosstrakh Life. Among the expensive methods are CAR—T therapy for the treatment of acute leukemia, which costs about 7 million rubles per course, as well as its variant, the drug Kimraya, which costs about 28 million rubles per vial.
"The basic volume of compulsory medical insurance remains free, but the availability of innovations is limited: patients have to buy drugs outside the list approved by the Ministry of Health at their own expense," the expert said.
The cost of medical services for cancer treatment is growing, the insurance company "Consent" also confirmed to Izvestia.
"This is due to medical inflation," the press service noted. — Usually, the more severe the disease, the more expensive it is to treat it. More manipulation means more spending.
The use of expensive technologies is primarily a part of the development and renewal of medical care, says Ekaterina Berezuyeva, Head of the Ingosstrakh—M Business Process Efficiency and Customer Service Department.
"The diagnosis and treatment of cancer are developing rapidly," she stressed. — Technologies of radiation therapy, in particular proton therapy, as well as radiopharmaceutical technologies and robotic surgery are being improved.
Oncological care is becoming more complex and requires more modern technologies, agreed Andrey Pylev, chief physician of the federal network of expert oncology clinics Euroonco.
—Previously, surgery and drug regimens were mainly used, but now we need molecular genetic diagnostics, targeted drugs and immunotherapy," he explained. — The cost of one course of immunotherapy can reach several million rubles. Among the extremely expensive methods, for example, bone marrow transplantation.
What problems do patients face?
Oncologist Alexander Mikhailov, head of the surgical department at the Be Healthy clinic on Sretenka, attributes the rise in prices not only to new methods, but also to logistical problems that have worsened due to sanctions.
— In addition, there is a regional disparity: the financing of cancer care can vary ten times or more, — he believes. — Cancer patients face a tough choice: to fight for life in debt or try to get help from the state, which often does not keep up with prices. In some regions, people have been waiting for years for quotas for expensive medicines, which are in short supply.
According to him, even with a compulsory medical insurance policy, cancer patients spend from 50% to 100% of their family income on medicines, dressings and tests.
At the same time, the doctor believes, access to the most effective schemes largely depends on the financial capabilities of the family: additional costs for original drugs and diagnostics can reach 2-3 million rubles.
Patients who cannot receive the necessary care for free often have to apply for loans or borrow from loved ones, said Olga Smirnova, head of the legal service at the Yasnoe Utro Service Foundation. According to her, not everyone manages to find money at the right time, so some postpone the start of the necessary procedures.
— But oncology is not a disease that can wait. Due to the lack of timely treatment, cancer can progress. And if this happens, another, stronger, and therefore more expensive therapy is required. It turns out not just a vicious circle, but an aggravation of the problem in a spiral," she noted.
According to Olga Smirnova, lengthy competitive procedures and tenders for the purchase of medicines can also delay their receipt, although patients need them now.
"Our subscribers complain about delays in the provision of drugs," she said. — This year, regional state guarantee programs in many regions were approved only in February and March, although they should be adopted as early as December 2025.
According to Olga Goldman, director of the Clear Morning Service Foundation, most often those who receive care outside the region of permanent registration have to pay for treatment on their own.
"This issue is especially acute in Moscow, where patients without permanent registration cannot receive the same level of medical care as Muscovites," she noted. — Moreover, people often live in the city for many years, regularly pay taxes, but still do not have the right to take full advantage of the Moscow healthcare system.
According to the compulsory medical insurance policy, citizens are provided with a full cycle of treatment: diagnostics, operations, chemo, radiation and targeted therapy, as well as high-tech assistance, said Makka Saligova, a lawyer at the Moscow Region Bar Association.
"The patient has the right to choose a medical organization in any region of Russia if it participates in the compulsory medical insurance program," she explained. — But for treatment in a specific place, a referral is often made from the polyclinic at the place of attachment or temporary registration. This can create additional difficulties.
A delay in providing care can lead to the progression of the tumor and reduce the number of available options, said oncologist Andrei Pylev.
At the same time, in his opinion, the rise in price of drugs and procedures in itself does not mean that patients will lose the necessary care within the framework of compulsory medical insurance and other state guarantees.
— The main thing is that prices do not exceed the tariffs at which the state pays for medical care. Then there will be no problems," he believes.
The Federal Fund for Compulsory Medical Insurance (FOMS) emphasized that assistance to patients with cancer remains one of the priorities of the state guarantees program. In 2026, 437.2 billion rubles are provided for it, which is 12.1% more than a year earlier. The funding is designed for 4 million cases of treatment, which is 6.9% higher than in 2025.
"An important area remains the expansion of access to innovative therapy: the latest medicines are included in the treatment regimens for compulsory medical insurance," the FMS press service told Izvestia.
The foundation added that the state guarantee program provides assistance at all major stages — from diagnosis and diagnosis to specialized treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.
"This makes it possible to apply personalized approaches and achieve the best clinical results even in complex forms of diseases," they noted.
Starting in 2026, the program also includes free psychological care for cancer patients, said Zhanna Khailova, head of the Center for Coordinating the Activities of Regional Institutions in the Field of Oncology and Radiology at the National Research Medical Center for Radiology of the Russian Ministry of Health. According to her, federal centers and reference institutions help to get expert advice, a second opinion, as well as conduct complex research to clarify the diagnosis and choose treatment tactics.
Are there any interruptions with cancer drugs
The retail market for cancer drugs has been actively growing over the past two years, Nikolai Bespalov, Director of Development at RNC Pharma, told Izvestia. Since the beginning of 2026, 1.8 million packages worth 4.5 billion rubles have been sold in Russia. This is 8.5% more than in the same period of 2025. Last year, the market grew by more than 10%.
"Retail has a fairly high inflation rate," the expert said. — In 2026, prices for cancer drugs increased by 12%, while the overall market grew by 6%.
Nikolay Bespalov noted that most of these drugs are included in the list of vital and essential medicines (VED). Their prices are regulated by the state.
"Price fluctuations are very small in the volume of state guarantees, and where they exist, they are covered by budget funds," he said. — But this does not mean that patients will not face problems in specific medical institutions. The reason may also be difficulties with the organization of purchases.
According to the expert, the transition to modern drugs also affects costs. They are many times, and sometimes many times more expensive than medicines of previous generations.
New cancer therapy, as a rule, does not immediately fall into the state guarantee program, so patients buy some of the drugs themselves or at the expense of charitable foundations and medical organizations.
— The situation with platinum-based drugs is difficult. Their cost increased by 130% over the year. The raw materials for their production have risen sharply in price, which has led to interruptions in the supply of medicines. But this is not a consequence of the rise in prices, the reason is that the state does not allow the manufacturer to raise prices," Bespalov added.
Ekaterina Berezuyeva emphasized that the necessary oncological care is provided under compulsory medical insurance. In the compulsory medical insurance system, the volume and conditions of care, according to her, are determined by the program of state guarantees, and not by the actual cost of a particular case of treatment for a medical organization.
"The state guarantee program defines waiting periods, including for patients with suspected cancer," she recalled. — Specialized medical care, with the exception of high-tech, is provided no later than seven working days from the date of the preliminary diagnosis of the disease.
If a patient is offered to wait longer than the prescribed period, is denied the necessary examination, or requires money for compulsory medical insurance assistance, Ekaterina Berezuyeva advises contacting her insurance medical organization. Her representative will check the validity of the refusal and, if necessary, help arrange the necessary medical care.
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