title: Illness-associated productivity costs among women with employer-sponsored insurance and newly diagnosed breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Determine lost work time and job attrition for incident breast cancer (BC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The cases were employed women, aged 18 to 64, with BC identified by a validated algorithm between 1999 and 2005, from claims (MarketScan) and attendance databases. Controls without cancer were matched 3:1 on age, comorbidity, and index year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First-year mean disability days were 60 (cases, N = 880) versus 5 (controls, N = 2640) (P < 0.001). The first-year disability costs were $4900 for cases versus $385 for controls (P < 0.001). In years 2 through 4, the disability days and associated costs were similar for the cases versus controls. After 4 years, 56.4% of cases were still enrolled in the employer-sponsored insurance programs compared to 6.5% of controls (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lost work associated with BC is substantial in the first year after diagnosis. Employee retention is much higher for BC cases versus controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health Outcomes, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Ind 46285, USA. emeadows@lilly.com
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Meadows
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Zhun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Gerhardt M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ramsey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000191:economics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult