Economic value of lost productivity attributable to premature cancer mortality and morbidity across Europe.

BACKGROUND

Cancer imposes a substantial clinical and economic burden across Europe. This analysis estimated the lost productivity cost of the five cancer types with the highest premature mortality and five cancer types with the highest morbidity burden across 28 European countries in 2022.

METHODS

Data on cancer deaths, years of life lost (YLL), and years of life lived with disability (YLD) were sourced from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Global Burden of Disease database. Country- and sex-specific demographic and economic parameters were obtained. Years of productive life lost (YPLL) and present value of future lost productivity (PVFLP) were estimated for individuals dying before retirement, while the value of YLD (VYLD) quantified earnings lost due to cancer-related disability. Outcomes were adjusted for labor force participation and unemployment. Deterministic sensitivity analyses assessed the impact of variations in model inputs.

RESULTS

In 2022, tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer, colon and rectum cancer, breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancers accounted for 899,581 deaths, 17,274,882 YLL, 896,510 YPLL, and €30,749,064,014 PVFLP across Europe. Tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer contributed the largest share of mortality-related productivity losses with 37.2% of deaths and 43.7% of PVFLP. Breast cancer had the highest PVFLP per death (€49,411). For morbidity, breast, prostate, colon and rectum cancer, tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma resulted in 993,648 YLD, 210,400 productive YLD (PYLD), and €9,087,096,712 VYLD. Germany, France, and United Kingdom were the largest contributors to both mortality and morbidity burdens. Sensitivity analyses indicated that retirement age was the key driver of results.

CONCLUSION

Cancer continues to exert a considerable productivity burden across Europe with substantial variation between countries. These findings highlight the need for equitable cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and timely access to treatment to reduce both health and economic disparities across Europe.