The Economic Burden of Cancer in Canada

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 16 Apr 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Canadian Cancer Statistics 2004 features a special section on the economic burden of cancer. The data is from a Health Canada report entitled The Economic Burden of Illness in Canada, 1998. The report was published in 2002. Highlights are:

--- Cancer has a significant impact in Canada, as measured by direct and indirect costs together. Direct costs refer to the value of goods and services for which payment was made and resources used in treatment, care and rehabilitation directly related to illness or injury. Indirect costs are defined as the value of economic output lost because of illness, injury-related work disability or premature death.

--- Overall, the total cost of illness in 1998 in Canada was $159 billion, of which $84 billion (53 per cent) were direct costs and $75 billion (47 per cent) indirect costs. Just over one-half (55 per cent) of these total costs could be attributed to a specific disease. Of these disease-specific costs, $14.2 billion (nine per cent of the total cost of illness), was related to cancer, which is ranked third in total costs after cardiovascular (12 per cent) and muscoloskeletal (10 per cent) diseases.

--- Of the total indirect costs of illness in Canada in 1998 ($75 billion), cancer accounted for $11.8 billion (16 per cent), ranking second to musculoskeletal diseases. Cancer accounted for almost one-third of premature death costs (32 per cent), reflecting the fact that cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Canada. Eight per cent of the costs of premature death due to all diseases was accounted for by lung cancer alone (or 26 per cent of the total due to cancer).

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.

For more information, please contact:

Kerstin Ring
Senior Manger, Communications
Canadian Cancer Society
(416) 934-5664

André Beaulieu
French media contact
Canadian Cancer Society
(514) 393-3444

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