Determining the Economic Burden of Diagnostic Delay for Colo-Rectal Cancer Care in India

Introduction

Background

An epidemiological transition is happening globally and Non – communicable diseases are replacing other conditions as the major cause of mortality and morbidity. The situation is no different in India, where NCDs are estimated to account for 61% of all deaths of which cancer is responsible for 9%. Analysis of National Cancer Registry Data reveals that the cancer burden in India is set to increase by 12% by 2025, which will bring the number of cancer cases in India to 15.6 lakhs. Cancer in adolescent and young population is estimated to be 25-30% of all cancers diagnosed and maximum cases are seen between 35-39 age group in both genders.

The financial burden caused by cancer is both direct and indirect. The median cost for the treatment of common cancers in India such as breast, lung, cervix, colorectal, etc. is Rs. 4-6lakh and could be as high as Rs.20 lakh. Treatment cycles of cancer therapy involve frequent and prolonged hospital stays, resulting in significant wage loss for the patient and bystander. Prolonged hospital stays result in other indirect expenses such as lodging, food, water, etc. In addition to this, the negative impact of cancer on the health-related quality of life of the patient often renders the patient incapable of working, and the family suffers from a loss of income, particularly in the case of young patients. The annual economic cost of cancer through health care expenditure and productivity cost globally was estimated at US$ 1.16 trillion.