Bengt Jönsson1, Thomas Hofmarcher2, Peter Lindgren3, Nils Wilking4. 1. Stockholm School of Economics, Department of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: bengt.jonsson@hhs.se. 2. Lund University, Department of Economics, Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: thomas.hofmarcher@nek.lu.se. 3. IHE, The Swedish Institute for Health Economics, Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: peter.lindgren@ihe.se. 4. Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: nils.wilking@skane.se.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is an intense debate about the cost of cancer and the value of new treatments. However, there is limited data on the cost of cancer in the European Union (EU) and how costs relate to the burden of disease. This paper presents new estimates on the development of the cost of cancer in the EU 1995-2014, with a focus on the major cost components: total health expenditure, cancer drugs, and production loss due to premature mortality. METHODS: Data on overall health expenditure were combined with national disease estimates to derive cancer-specific health expenditure. Data on drug sales were obtained from IMS Health, and epidemiological data were used to calculate life years lost due to cancer. FINDINGS: Health expenditure on cancer increased continuously from €35.7 billion in 1995 to €83.2 billion in 2014 in the EU and spending on cancer drugs from €7.6 billion in 2005 to €19.1 billion in 2014 (current prices). Yet the share of total health expenditure devoted to cancer was mostly constant (around 6 per cent). While expenditures on cancer drugs increased in both absolute and relative terms, other expenditures were stable or decreased, despite increases in cancer incidence driven by a growing and ageing population. Reductions in cancer mortality during working age resulted in decreasing production loss due to premature mortality. INTERPRETATION: Health spending on cancer as a share of total health expenditure is rather low and stable despite the growing incidence and relative burden of cancer. Problems to reallocate funding in health care systems under economic pressure may be one explanation and shifting costs from inpatient to ambulatory care another.
BACKGROUND: There is an intense debate about the cost of cancer and the value of new treatments. However, there is limited data on the cost of cancer in the European Union (EU) and how costs relate to the burden of disease. This paper presents new estimates on the development of the cost of cancer in the EU 1995-2014, with a focus on the major cost components: total health expenditure, cancer drugs, and production loss due to premature mortality. METHODS: Data on overall health expenditure were combined with national disease estimates to derive cancer-specific health expenditure. Data on drug sales were obtained from IMS Health, and epidemiological data were used to calculate life years lost due to cancer. FINDINGS: Health expenditure on cancer increased continuously from €35.7 billion in 1995 to €83.2 billion in 2014 in the EU and spending on cancer drugs from €7.6 billion in 2005 to €19.1 billion in 2014 (current prices). Yet the share of total health expenditure devoted to cancer was mostly constant (around 6 per cent). While expenditures on cancer drugs increased in both absolute and relative terms, other expenditures were stable or decreased, despite increases in cancer incidence driven by a growing and ageing population. Reductions in cancer mortality during working age resulted in decreasing production loss due to premature mortality. INTERPRETATION: Health spending on cancer as a share of total health expenditure is rather low and stable despite the growing incidence and relative burden of cancer. Problems to reallocate funding in health care systems under economic pressure may be one explanation and shifting costs from inpatient to ambulatory care another.
Authors: Bénédicte Mittaine-Marzac; Emmanuel Bagaragaza; Joël Ankri; Philippe Aegerter; Matthieu De Stampa Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2021-03-25 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Igor Stukalin; Newaz Shubidito Ahmed; Adam M Fundytus; Alexander S Qian; Stephanie Coward; Gilaad G Kaplan; Robert J Hilsden; Kelly W Burak; Jeffrey K Lee; Siddharth Singh; Christopher Ma Journal: Gastroenterology Date: 2021-12-16 Impact factor: 22.682
Authors: Karim ReFaey; Shashwat Tripathi; Sanjeet S Grewal; Adip G Bhargav; David J Quinones; Kaisorn L Chaichana; Samuel O Antwi; Leslie T Cooper; Fredric B Meyer; Roxana S Dronca; Robert B Diasio; Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa Journal: Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes Date: 2021-06-08