Abstract
BackgroundsBreast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women. Breast cancer imposes a considerable economic burden on the health system. This study aimed to compare the cost of breast cancer among patients who referred to private and public hospitals in Iran (2017).MethodsThis was a prevalence-based cost of illness study. A total of 179 patients were selected from private and public hospitals using the census method. The researcher-constructed checklist was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.ResultsThe estimated total mean (SD) direct cost of patients who referred to the private hospital and the public hospital was $10,050 (19,480) and $3960 (6780), respectively. Further, the total mean indirect cost of patients who referred to the private hospital was lower than those referring to the public hospital at $1870 (15 % of total costs) and $22,350 (85 % of total costs), respectively. These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).ConclusionsBreast cancer imposes a substantial cost on patients, health insurance organizations and the whole society in Iran. Therefore, the adoption of effective measures for the prevention and early diagnosis of breast cancer is urgently needed.
Highlights
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide
The estimated mean(SD) number of hospital admission and the length of hospital stay of patients who referred to the private hospital was 1.35 (0.50) and 2.71 (2.49), respectively whereas those who referred to the public hospital was higher at 1.48 (085) and 8.63 (1049), respectively
The total mean cost of breast cancer among patients who referred to the public hospital was 1.92 times greater than those referring to the private hospitals (76,630 PPP current international $ VS 41,460 PPP current international $)
Summary
The number of cancer cases and deaths is projected to grow rapidly due to population ageing and adopt lifestyle behaviours that increase cancer risk. This is especially important in low- and middle-income countries as they undergo an economic transition [1]. The estimated number of new cases and cancer deaths was 2,088,849 and 626,679, respectively, worldwide in 2018 [2]. In 2018, it was estimated that 627,000 women died from breast cancer, contributing approximately 15 % of all cancer deaths among women [5]. It has been estimated that the incidence of women breast cancer worldwide will reach approximately 3.2 million new cases per year by 2050 [4]
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