Direct and indirect economic burden of lung cancer in Denmark a nationwide study

Abstract

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, but the additional economic burden regarding direct and indirect costs is largely unknown. This study provides information on the economic consequences of lung cancer on a national level.

Methods: From the Danish National Patient Registry (NPR) and the Danish Civil Registration System (CPR), 53,749 patients with lung cancer were identified and matched with 214,304 controls on age, gender, region of residence and marital status in the period 1998–2010. Direct and indirect costs, health care contacts and frequency, medication and social transfer payments were extracted from national databases.

Results: Direct health care cost were higher for lung cancer patients than controls both before and after being diagnosed with lung cancer. At the year of diagnosis, health care cost peaked with cost of €21,497 compared to €2,880 for controls. Average difference in income from employment was €+3,118 in years prior to diagnosis and €+748 after diagnosis in favor of controls. Average difference in total public transfer income was €+1,288 before and €+441 after diagnosis, with higher public transfer income for lung cancer patients.

Conclusion: For both genders, lung cancer was associated with significantly higher rates of health-related costs, medication costs, public transfer income, social transfer payments and significantly lower income from employment until retirement (age 65).

KEYWORDS:

• Lung cancer
• economic burden
• direct cost
• indirect cost
• case-control study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anja Gouliaev

Anja Gouliaev, MD, clinical doctor at the department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

Jeyanthini Risikesan

Jeyanthini Risikesan, MD, PhD, clinical doctor at the department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

Niels Lyhne Christensen

Niels Lyhne Christensen, MD, PhD, associated professor at the department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

Torben Riis Rasmussen

Torben Riis Rasmussen, MD, PhD, associated professor at the department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. 

Ole Hilberg

Ole Hilberg, MD, PhD, professor at the department of Medicine, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, and Department of Regional Health Research, University og Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

Rikke Ibsen

Rikke Ibsen, cand.scient, i2minds, Møllegade 32, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

Anders Løkke

Anders Løkke, MD, associated professor at the department of Medicine, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, and Department of Regional Health Research, University og Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.