Abstract
BackgroundIn China, the disease burden of cervical cancer remains substantial. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are expensive and not yet centrally funded. To inform immunization policy, understanding the economic burden of the disease is necessary. This study adopted a societal perspective and investigated costs and quality of life changes associated with cervical cancer from diagnosis to one year after final discharge in Henan province, China.MethodsInpatient records of cervical cancer patients admitted to the largest cancer hospital in Henan province between Jan. 2017 and Dec. 2018 were extracted. A telephone interview with four modules was conducted in Jun.-Jul. 2019 with a 40% random draw of patients to obtain direct non-medical costs and indirect costs associated with inpatients, costs associated with outpatient visits, and changes in quality of life status using the EQ-5D-5L instrument. Direct medical expenditures were converted to opportunity costs of care using cost-to-charge ratios obtained from hospital financial reports. For each clinical stage (IA-IV), total costs per case from diagnosis to one year after final discharge were extrapolated based on inpatient records, responses to the telephone interview, and recommendation on outpatient follow-ups by Chinese cervical cancer treatment guidelines. Loss in quality-adjusted life years was obtained using the ‘under the curve’ method and regression predictions.ResultsA total of 3,506 inpatient records from 1,323 patients were obtained. Among 541 randomly selected patients, 309 completed at least one module of the telephone interview. The average total costs per case associated with cervical cancer from diagnosis to one year after final discharge ranged from $8,066-$22,888 (in 2018 US Dollar) and the quality-adjusted life years loss varied from 0.05–0.26 for IA-IV patients.ConclusionsThe economic burden associated with cervical cancer is substantial in Henan province. Our study provided important baseline information for cost-effectiveness analysis of HPV immunization program in China.
Highlights
The disease burden of cervical cancer has been substantial globally, especially for less developed regions
The economic burden associated with cervical cancer is substantial in Henan province
Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary cause of cervical cancer [4]
Summary
The disease burden of cervical cancer has been substantial globally, especially for less developed regions. In 2018, there were approximately 570,000 new cases and 311,000 cervical cancer related deaths, more than 84% of which were from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) [1]. It is estimated that in 2015 cervical cancer caused 30,500 deaths and recorded 98,900 new cases [2]. Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary cause of cervical cancer [4]. To eliminate cervical cancer globally, the World Health Organization recommends HPV vaccination for all adolescent girls aged between 9–14 years as the primary target population and, if proved to be cost-effective, older females or males as the secondary target populations [6]. In China, the disease burden of cervical cancer remains substantial. This study adopted a societal perspective and investigated costs and quality of life changes associated with cervical cancer from diagnosis to one year after final discharge in Henan province, China
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.