Introduction: Lung cancer accounts for approximately 20% of all cancer-related deaths and for the loss of 3.2 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) annually across Europe. The present study investigated the productivity losses resulting from premature deaths due to lung cancer in four European countries.
Methods: The human capital approach (HCA) was used to estimate indirect cost of productivity losses due to premature death due to lung cancer (ICD-10 codes C33-34 malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus, and lung) in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and Poland. Years of productive life lost (YPLL) and present value of future lost productivity (PVFLP) were calculated using national age-specific mortality, wages, and employment rates. Data were sourced from the World Health Organization, Eurostat, and the World Bank.
Results: In 2019, there were 41,468 lung cancer deaths in the included countries resulting in 59,246 YPLL and more than €981 million in productivity losses due to premature mortality. From 2010 to 2015, the PVFLP of lung cancer decreased by 14% in Belgium, 13% in the Netherlands, 33% in Norway, and 19% in Poland. From 2015 to 2019, the PVFLP of lung cancer decreased by 26% in Belgium, 27% in the Netherlands, 14% in Norway, and 38% in Poland.
Conclusion: The results from this study illustrate a decreasing trend in productivity costs of premature mortality due to lung cancer, as illustrated by the decreasing PVFLP between 2010 and 2019. This trend could be driven by a shift in the distribution of deaths towards older age groups due to advancements in the preventative and treatment landscape. These results provide an economic measure of the lung cancer burden which may assist decision-makers in allocating scarce resources amongst competing priorities in the included countries.
Keywords: Health economics; Health policy; Indirect expenditure; Neoplasms.
© 2023. The Author(s).