Yuan Kong, Yibo Cui, Song Qiao
Female breast cancer continues to impose a substantial welfare-based economic burden across high-income settings despite advances in prevention and treatment. Persistent and projected welfare losses highlight the importance of evidence-based strategies to reduce future disease burden and inform health-policy planning and resource allocation.
INTRODUCTION: Female breast cancer remains a major source of health loss in high-income settings, but its welfare-based economic burden has not been well quantified. We estimated the welfare loss attributable to female breast cancer across high-income countries using a value-of-lost-welfare (VLW) framework.
METHODS: We conducted a population-level analysis restricted to female breast cancer across 35 countries and territories in five high-income GBD regions from 1990 to 2023, with projections to 2050. Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were monetized using a VLW framework based on the value of a statistical life, incorporating female-specific healthy life expectancy. Welfare loss was assessed as undiscounted VLW, discounted VLW (3% annual discount rate), and VLW as a percentage of gross domestic product (VLW/GDP). Regional, country-level, age-specific, temporal, and projection analyses to 2050 were performed.
RESULTS: In 2023, female breast cancer accounted for 4.83 million DALYs across high-income countries. The undiscounted VLW was estimated at US$1.47 trillion, equivalent to 2.04% (95% UI: 1.80-2.27%) of combined GDP, while the discounted VLW was US$993.78 billion. Absolute welfare losses were greatest in Western Europe and High-income North America, whereas the highest relative burdens (VLW/GDP) were observed in Uruguay, Germany, Cyprus, Greece, and Andorra. Age-specific welfare valuation peaked among women aged 85-89 years. Under a constant 2023 valuation framework, undiscounted and discounted VLW were projected to increase to US$1.51 trillion and US$1.02 trillion, respectively, by 2050.
CONCLUSIONS: Female breast cancer continues to impose a substantial welfare-based economic burden across high-income settings despite advances in prevention and treatment. Persistent and projected welfare losses highlight the importance of evidence-based strategies to reduce future disease burden and inform health-policy planning and resource allocation.