KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — A recent study presented at the 2024 World Cancer Congress (WCC) estimates that ovarian cancer could result in a staggering US$69.9 billion (RM299.45 billion) in economic losses across 11 countries, including Malaysia.
The study, commissioned by the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, highlights the uneven burden of the disease, with socioeconomic losses ranging from 0.02 per cent of GDP in Malawi to 0.24 per cent in the United Kingdom.
The analysis spanned countries of diverse income levels – including Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States – to reflect how ovarian cancer impacts health systems globally.
Treatment costs in the first two years post-diagnosis were found to be seven times the average health spending per capita in high-income nations, 41 times higher in upper-middle-income countries, and 118 times in low- and lower-middle-income nations.
This economic toll goes beyond treatment expenses. The study reported that women lose around 2.5 million workdays due to illness, while over 9,400 women living with ovarian cancer or survivors are missing from the workforce.
Cumulatively, patients spent nearly 3,700 years travelling to or receiving care, a burden that ripples outward to affect caregivers as well. According to the study, caregivers dedicate an average of 33 days each to provide support, which affects their own economic wellbeing.
Mikis Euripides, the study’s lead author and policy consultant for the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, highlighted the need to integrate ovarian cancer into broader discussions around gynaecological health and cancers.
“While there is extensive research on breast cancer, ovarian cancer receives less attention despite having significantly worse outcomes due to factors like low awareness,” Euripides told CodeBlue in an interview.
“Policymakers should consider ovarian cancer in national control programmes and include it in prevention strategies. For example, genetic testing should be available for both breast and ovarian cancer,” Euripides added.
Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer diagnosed in women worldwide and ranks as the eighth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, according to the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition. The disease accounts for approximately 324,000 new cases and 207,000 deaths globally every year.
In Malaysia, it is the fifth most common cancer affecting women, with an incidence rate of 6.2 per 100,000 people, as reported by the Malaysia National Cancer Registry for 2017-2021.
This recent study presented at WCC 2024 did not include detailed findings specific to Malaysia, as the full report is still under review and expected to be released early next year.
However, Euripides shared broader observations showing that countries at different income levels spend varying amounts on ovarian cancer treatment compared to their overall health expenditure per capita.
For example, while a country might allocate an average of US$100 per person for general health costs, spending on ovarian cancer treatment could run into thousands of dollars.
Euripides also noted that travel time for patients varies widely by country. In lower-middle-income nations, patients spend between 45 per cent and 86 per cent of their time commuting for treatment, leaving only a small portion for receiving care.
In contrast, travel time in high-income countries ranges from just 9 per cent to 13 per cent, allowing for more time to be dedicated to treatment – underscoring a significant gap in access to care.
“While factors such as the country’s size and geographic location play a role, high-income countries like Canada, the US, and Australia generally provide better access to treatment compared to lower-middle-income countries, where patients may need to travel hundreds of miles to a specialist centre,” Euripides said.
Overall, the study’s authors stressed that the economic impact of ovarian cancer extends beyond direct medical costs. “To reduce these costs, it is crucial to adopt strategies that prioritise prevention and early diagnosis, while also improving support for patients, caregivers, and health systems,” they concluded.
