OBJECTIVES: The high cost of cancer treatment  has received much scrutiny, but the health benefits of cancer treatments relative to those indicated for other diseases has not received much attention.  This research compares estimates of health gain measured in quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gains offered by interventions for various cancers with those offered by interventions for a wide range of chronic diseases. METHODS: We used the Tufts Medical Center Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) Registry to identify cost utility analyses (CUAs) pertaining to interventions indicated for cancer and all chronic diseases in the registry, grouped in categories such as cardiovascular and endocrine diseases.  For each chronic disease and cancer type, we calculated the mean reported QALY gain by prevention stage, i.e., primary, secondary and tertiary disease, and by intervention type, i.e., pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, surgery, and so on.  RESULTS: