Major item costs >0 incurred in every stage of the patient care pathway (in USD).

Most patients accumulated medical or non-medical out-of-pocket expenses at every single stage of their care pathways. The greater burdens relied on non-medical expenses during pre-diagnosis (traditional spending) and during intensive treatment (travel and food) while medical expenses were dominant during diagnosis stage. At the regional level, disparities between urban and rural residents were concentrated on the non-medical expenses.