The economic impact of cancer-related premature mortality in Brazil: A human capital approach analysis.

Abstract

7068 Background: One method of calculating indirect costs of cancer is the analysis of productivity loss. Using the human capital approach, we estimate how much cancer-related premature mortality indirectly impacts the economy. Given the diverse causes of cancer death and sociodemographic profiles in Brazil, we estimated lost productivity due to cancer by regions, providing evidence for local decision-makers. Methods: Data of all cancers deaths among working-age people (15-64 years for men and 15-60 for women) occurring in 2016 were extracted from the National Mortality System, by region, sex and age-group. Data on life expectancy, workforce participation, unemployment and wages were extracted from the Brazilian National Institute of Geographics and Statistics. Loss of productivity was calculated as the value of time between death and potential retirement age. Results: In total 536,827 (men) and 407,737 (women) years of potential productive life (YPPLL) were lost in 2016, corresponding to US$ 6,196,682,092 (PPP) for Brazil. The profile of YPPLL by cancer type varied by region. In the affluent South and Southeast regions, the cancers with higher impact in men were lung (12.4% and 9.9% of total YPPLL) and colorectal (9.6% and 10.4% of total YPPLL) while in the less affluent North and Northeast, stomach cancer was responsible for 17% and 12% of YPPLL, respectively. Among women, breast cancer had the highest impact in all regions (21.7%-26.2%), excepting the North, where cervical cancer was responsible for 31.3% of the YPPLL. Nationally, individual YPPLL was higher for testicular cancer in males (31.3 years) and Hodgkin’s disease in females (20.2). In the North and the Northeast, despite lower mortality rates, the economic impact of productivity loss was higher, representing 0.23 and 0.29% of the regional GDP. Conclusions: Our results show the indirect economic impact of premature cancer mortality in Brazil, at a total cost of US$ 6,196,682,092 in 2016, representing 0.2% of the entire country’s GDP. The regional patterns highlight the need for adaption of public policies, typical from a country in transition, with the impact of lifestyle and infection-related cancers simultaneously and differently affecting economically the regions.