Treating cancer is a massive business. In 2024 alone, cancer treatments generated at least $200 billion in worldwide sales for the pharmaceutical industry, more than the obesity drug rush. But a Bloomberg News analysis showed that fewer than half of treatments reviewed — some of which have painful side effects — have been shown to extend patients’ lives.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg senior healthcare reporter Robert Langreth takes host David Gura inside what some doctors call the “cancer-industrial complex” — from the regulatory landscape that ushered in a wave of lucrative new drugs to the damaging financial and health impacts some treatments can have on patients.

Read more:

Cancer Drugs Cost More Than Ever. They Often Don’t Extend Lives.

The Implants Were Supposed to Dissolve. They Didn’t.

Pharma Is Pushing $200,000 Cancer Drugs When Cheaper Doses May Work

Cancer Doctors Are Making a Fortune Off Drug-Trial Participants

One Generic Cancer Drug Costs $35. Or $134. Or $13,000.

Treating cancer is a massive business. In 2024 alone, cancer treatments generated at least $200 billion in worldwide sales for the pharmaceutical industry, more than the obesity drug rush. But a Bloomberg News analysis showed that fewer than half of treatments reviewed &mdash; some of which have painful side effects &mdash; have been shown to extend patients&rsquo; lives.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg senior healthcare reporter Robert Langreth takes host David Gura inside what some doctors call the &ldquo;cancer-industrial complex&rdquo; &mdash; from the regulatory landscape that ushered in a wave of lucrative new drugs to the damaging financial and health impacts some treatments can have on patients.
Read more:
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-cancer-treatment-costs">Cancer Drugs Cost More Than Ever. They Often Don&rsquo;t Extend Lives.</a>
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-biozorb-cancer-implant-recall">The Implants Were Supposed to Dissolve. They Didn&rsquo;t.</a>
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-experimental-cheaper-treatments-cancer-capitalism">Pharma Is Pushing $200,000 Cancer Drugs When Cheaper Doses May Work</a>
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-cancer-drug-trials-money/?sref=RTae6dyr">Cancer Doctors Are Making a Fortune Off Drug-Trial Participants</a>
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-cancer-drug-markups/?srnd=undefined">One Generic Cancer Drug Costs $35. Or $134. Or $13,000.</a>

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

 Many Cancer Drugs Don’t Extend Life

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/96804cf7-0100-4d97-961f-b3b60173c0bd/transcript

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