Understanding Oncology Data on Sunlight Ledger

What Oncologists Do

Medical oncologists diagnose and treat cancer using chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and hormone therapy. Radiation oncologists administer radiation treatment. Surgical oncologists specialize in cancer-related surgeries. Oncology is one of the most complex specialties to evaluate through billing data because treatment decisions involve rapidly evolving protocols, clinical trials, and individualized regimens.

Most oncologists subspecialize by cancer type — breast, lung, gastrointestinal, hematologic, or genitourinary — and the drugs they prescribe reflect that focus.

Common Procedures in Medicare Data

  • Chemotherapy administration — Intravenous infusion of chemotherapy agents, billed per session
  • Immunotherapy infusion — Administration of checkpoint inhibitors and other immunologic agents
  • Office visits — Evaluation and management during active treatment and surveillance
  • Bone marrow biopsy — Used for hematologic cancers like leukemia and lymphoma
  • Port placement coordination — Often performed in collaboration with interventional radiology or surgery
  • Radiation treatment delivery — Billed separately by radiation oncologists per treatment fraction

What Normal Volume Looks Like

Oncology billing is characterized by high total payment amounts relative to procedure counts, because cancer drugs administered in the office are billed at significant cost. A physician's total Medicare payments may be large even if patient volume is modest. Drug acquisition cost is included in these payment figures, not just the physician's fee.

Pharma Payments in Oncology

Oncology has among the highest pharmaceutical payment levels of any specialty. Drug companies marketing cancer treatments — many costing $100,000 or more per year — invest heavily in consulting relationships, speaker bureaus, and clinical trial participation with oncologists. Research payments are also common, as oncology is a highly active area of clinical trial development. Payments to oncologists should be read in light of subspecialty: a lung cancer specialist receiving payments from a lung cancer drug manufacturer warrants closer review.

Questions to Ask Your Oncologist

  • Do you have financial relationships with the makers of the drugs you are recommending for my treatment?
  • Is this treatment protocol the current standard of care, or are there clinical trials I should consider?
  • How many patients with my specific cancer type and stage do you treat per year?
Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Industry payment disclosure alone establishes neither wrongdoing nor legality. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →