The price of cancer: economic losses caused by cancer

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to study the international experience in assessing the economic costs caused by oncology, for further implementation in domestic practice. Materials and methods. A review of international sources of scientific literature on the issue of calculating the economic costs caused by cancer was conducted. The information was supplemented with data from the National Health Service of Ukraine regarding the direct costs of the health care system for the provision of oncological medical care. The results were processed using bibliosemantic, content analysis, system approach, structural-logical analysis and statistical methods. Results. The economic burden of cancer consists of direct costs, costs of informal care, and indirect costs. Direct costs are the costs of the health care system for primary prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. These include the costs of medical personnel, medical equipment, health care facilities, pharmaceuticals, and human papillomavirus vaccines. Indirect costs are related to lost productivity caused by morbidity and premature death. Informal care includes assistance with transportation and support from relatives and friends. Conclusions. Currently, in Ukraine at the national level, there is a need to conduct scientific research on the calculation of economic losses caused by cancer. The need for such studies is extremely important for the development of an optimized system of financing cancer care in Ukraine.