Staggering toll of cancer

New report first to quantify global economic loss

A new report, by the American Cancer Society and LIVESTRONG, states that ‘for the first time, research has shown that cancer has the most devastating economic impact of any cause of death in the world’, nearly 19 per cent higher than heart disease. The total economic impact of the early death and disability due to the disease is 1.5 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product: $895 billion (2008). The analysis did not include direct medical costs. The greatest impact is from lung, bronchu and trachea cancer ($180 billion) – the result, primarily, of tobacco use, including the estimated 200,000 people who die because of second-hand smoke exposure in the workplace.

The impact of the disease is not evenly spread between countries. Cancer costs the United States 1.73 per cent of GDP – whereas in Hungary, although costs are lower in absolute terms, the economic cost is 3.05 per cent of GDP.

83 million years of ‘healthy life’ were lost due to death and disability due to cancer in 2008.

Source: The Global Economic Cost of Cancer, American Cancer Society and LIVESTRONG: Executive summary >>, 16 August 2010

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