Abstract
This cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the average costs of breast cancer screening and treatment among women with the age of 25 and over in Shiraz-Iran. Three majors hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) were selected for data collection. Financial documents and interviews with the hospitals' financial officers were used for data collection. Finding shows that the total cost of screening would be 5,847,544.96 US dollars for age groups of 25-34 and 35 and above, demonstrating the huge expense of screening programs. On the other hand, the average cost of breast cancer treatment for each patient would be 3608.47, 996.89, and 311.47 US dollars for mastectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, respectively. In addition, the total average cost for treatment of 2217 patients would be 1,466,988.9 US dollars, which is much less than screening programs expenses. It is concluded that although screening can be effective for improving quality of life and treatment effectiveness, considering the high costs of screening, it is not economical in Iran. Screening methods within suitable intervals, and also considering patients' medical history have been recommended by the present study.
Highlights
Cancer is considered as a major issue concerning healthcare systems
Due to the global increases in cancer prevalence, and its attribution to more than 12% of the world’s mortality, providing efficient policies for cancer screening and treatment is recognized as the leading priority of healthcare systems [1,2]
The study population includes two groups: 1) patients referred to Hafez hospital for sonography and mammography for breast cancer detection, and 2) patients referred to Shahid Faghihi hospital for mastectomy services, or to Namazi hospital for chemotherapy and radiotherapy services
Summary
Due to the global increases in cancer prevalence, and its attribution to more than 12% of the world’s mortality, providing efficient policies for cancer screening and treatment is recognized as the leading priority of healthcare systems [1,2]. Five common factors that contribute to increasing cancer rates in both developed and developing countries include dietary changes, smoking, infections, occupational and agronomic problems, and environmental pollution. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and the second highest contributor to cancer mortality It accounts for 20% of deaths in women aged 40 to 50 years [5], and 32% of women’s cancers, and 19% of women’s cancer deaths, are attributed to breast cancer [6]. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, breast cancer prevalence rates presently increase by 1.8 to 2
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