Background: Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women with an annual crude incidence of 27.4 per 100,000 in Ethiopia. The aims of this study were to (a) estimate the unit cost of breast cancer treatment for the standard Ethiopian patient, (b) identify the cost drivers, (c) project the total cost of breast cancer treatment for the next five years, and (d) estimate the economic burden of the disease in the main specialized tertiary hospital-Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) Addis Ababa.
Methods: Primary data were collected from health and non-health professionals. Secondary data were collected from patient`s charts and official reports from various national and international organisations including data from TASH. To establish work-time estimates, we asked professionals on their time usage.
Result: A total of US$ 33,261 was incurred to treat 52 Addis Ababa resident female breast cancer patients in TASH between July 2017 and June 2019. The unit cost of treatment for a hypothetical breast cancer patient to complete her treatment was US$ 536 for stage I and US$ 705 for stage II and III using the existing infrastructure. This cost increased to US$ 955 for stage I and US$ 1157 for stage II and III when infrastructure amortization was considered. The projected total costs of breast cancer treatment in TASH is between US$ 540,000 and US$ 1.48million. However, this will increase to US$ 870,000 and US$ 2.29 million when the existing fixed assets are changed.
Conclusion: The economic burden of breast cancer treatment is high compared to the economic status of the country. Thus, it is recommended that TASH should revise its charges and breast cancer should be included in the Social and Community based health insurance scheme. JEL classification: H51, H75, I18, P46.