title: Productivity loss in Puerto Rico's labor market due to cancer mortality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Puerto Rico (PR), cancer is the second leading cause of death and the disease that causes most premature deaths, representing about 15% of them. Thus, premature death due to cancer decreases the productivity capacity in PR.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to estimate the labor-market productivity loss in PR during 2004 as a result of premature mortality due to overall cancer and cause-specific cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A model based in the incidence-based approach and in the human capital approach was developed to estimate the labor-market productivity loss. Economic data were obtained from the Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) of the PR Community Survey (PRCS). Mortality data were obtained from the Vital Statistics of the PR Department of Health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The productivity costs of all cancer deaths were estimated to be approximately $64 million (in constant value). The cancer deaths that contributed the most to productivity loss were lung and bronchus, colorectal, breast, and liver and intrahepatic bile duct.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although these results must be interpreted with caution, this study contributes to show a broader picture that includes the economic dimension of cancer in our society. These estimates imply that productivity cost due to cancer mortality have a great burden in PR. The leading cancer sites that generate most productivity losses are highly preventable or can be diagnosed early or are related to tobacco consumption. This study should be considered within the framework of future cost analyses for the development of health and cancer control policies.
authors.affiliation: Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry, Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program, University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Juan, PR.
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Ortiz
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Irizarry
authors.forename: Heriberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marín-Centeno
authors.forename: Ana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Torres-Berrios
authors.forename: Mariela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torres-Cintrón
authors.forename: Taína
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de la Torre-Feliciano
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laborde-Rivera
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Calo
authors.forename: Nayda R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Figueroa-Vallés
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality*; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult