UEA study shows non-healthcare cost of chemotherapy for breast cancer almost £250 million
The study published today is the first to investigate to the total non-healthcare cost of chemotherapy to the UK
A study by the University of East Anglia (UEA) shows chemotherapy for breast cancer patients costs the UK economy more than £248 million per year.
The findings, which analyse the non-healthcare costs of the treatment, shows the impacts it has on productivity, work absence, transport for treatment, the cost of wigs and new bras, as well as over-the-counter medication.
Researchers at UEA think better targeting of treatment could help avoid placing unnecessary costs upon patients, their caregivers and wider society.
Professor Richard Fordham, from UEA's Norwich Medial School, said: "Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and second most common cancer overall with two million cases per year worldwide.
"Most patients require surgery, additional radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or a combination of these to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. Around a third of breast cancer patients receive chemotherapy, but there are grey areas around which patients do and don’t need chemotherapy.
"As well as the cost of the treatment itself, there are many societal and personal costs associated with chemotherapy. These might include taking time off work, paying for hospital transport or parking, paying for over-the-counter medications or dietary supplements, the cost of wigs, headscarves and new bras, and the cost of informal care.
"But until now it has not been known what the total cost of all of this really is. We wanted to find out what the true total cost of chemotherapy is for patients, caregivers and wider society, for treating breast cancer in the UK."
The study showed the there were societal productivity losses of £141.4 million each year, including £133.7 million lost to work absence.
Out-of-pocket patient costs for chemotherapy also totalled £4.2 million, which works out as an annual average of £1,100 per patient.
Costs for the emotional wellbeing of carers could even be as much as £82 million according to the university.