The economic burden of cancer in Korea in 2009.
BACKGROUND
Cancer imposes a significant economic burden on individuals, families and society. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic burden of cancer using the healthcare claims and cancer registry data in Korea in 2009.


METHODS
The economic burden of cancer was estimated using the prevalence data where patients were identified in the Korean Central Cancer Registry. We estimated the medical, non-medical, morbidity and mortality cost due to lost productivity. Medical costs were calculated using the healthcare claims data obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance (KNHI) Corporation. Non-medical costs included the cost of transportation to visit health providers, costs associated with caregiving for cancer patients, and costs for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Data acquired from the Korean National Statistics Office and Ministry of Labor were used to calculate the life expectancy at the time of death, age- and gender-specific wages on average, adjusted for unemployment and labor force participation rate. Sensitivity analysis was performed to derive the current value of foregone future earnings due to premature death, discounted at 3% and 5%.


RESULTS
In 2009, estimated total economic cost of cancer amounted to $17.3 billion at a 3% discount rate. Medical care accounted for 28.3% of total costs, followed by non-medical (17.2%), morbidity (24.2%) and mortality (30.3%) costs.


CONCLUSIONS
Given that the direct medical cost sharply increased over the last decade, we must strive to construct a sustainable health care system that provides better care while lowering the cost. In addition, a comprehensive cancer survivorship policy aimed at lower caregiving cost and higher rate of return to work has become more important than previously considered.
Office for Public Healthcare, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, Cheong- ju, Korea E-mail : jonghyock@chungbuk.ac.kr, jonghyock@gmail.com.
So Young
SY
Kim
Jong-Hyock
JH
Park
Kyoung Hee
KH
Kang
Inuk
I
Hwang
Hyung Kook
HK
Yang
Young-Joo
YJ
Won
Hong-Gwan
HG
Seo
Dukhyoung
D
Lee
Seok-Jun
SJ
Yoon
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult