Nearly 10,000 people die from the disease each year in Argentina, and 8 out of every 10 cases are due to smoking. It is estimated that each year, about 1.4% is spent on health for this specific disease.
He lung cancer causes approximately 10,000 deaths per year in Argentina. For its treatment, the health system allocates 1 of every US$5 allocated to the treatment of all types of cancer, in addition to the Disease has a strong impact on the economy of patients and their families.
This was determined by two studies conducted by the Institute of Clinical and Health Effectiveness (IECS)an institution affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Its diffusion occurs on the occasion of the International Lung Cancer Day, which is commemorated next Sunday.
What costs does suffering from lung cancer require in Argentina?
In the first study, the research team estimated the burden of the disease and the medical cost of their illness in Argentina. International data were taken (such as World Cancer Observatory), review of the literature and parameters agreed upon with local experts.
According to the analysisevery year there are 12,000 new cases and the economic burden of lung cancer in Argentina in 2023 was estimated at US$556.2 million, which represents 1.4% of the country’s total health spending. Estimated costs include consultations, diagnostic studies, surgeries, radiotherapy, medications, hospitalizations, monitoring and management of adverse events.
Almost 8 out of 10 cases are attributable to smoking and every year 179,000 people in Argentina stop having a year of healthy life due to the impact of the disease, the IECS team calculated.
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“Lung cancer is not the most common in Argentina, but It is the one that produces the most deaths and the one that consumes the most resources“, highlighted the Dr. Andrea Alcarazdoctor, master’s degree in Clinical Effectiveness and coordinator of Health Technology Assessment at the IECS. Alcaraz also added that this ailment “continues to be a critical public health problem.”
The impact on the pockets of the families of lung cancer patients
In a second study, funded by the National Cancer Institute (INC), Dr. Alcaraz and colleagues evaluated – in 3 public hospitals and a private institution in Buenos Aires and La Plata – the real experience of 131 diagnosed patients with advanced stage lung cancer.
The team found that 48% of participants reported a reduction in income due to the disease. 16% lost their jobs and 68% reported “financial toxicity,” or out-of-pocket expenses to cope with care. These expenses seriously impacted their economic capacity, with greater magnitude in the case of receiving care in the public sector.
“The impact of lung cancer on the family “It often affects people of productive age who lose their jobs or reduce their income,” pointed out the Dr. Federico Augustovski, principal investigator of the work and director of the Department of Health Technology Assessment and Health Economics of the IECS.
The authors further stated: “Countries must be prepared, improving prevention policies, supporting equitable access to healthcare, improving the effectiveness of healthcare services, and increasing public awareness.”
Source: Ambito
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