Medical expenditure for esophageal cancer in China: a 10-year multicenter retrospective survey (2002–2011)

Abstract

BackgroundEsophageal cancer is associated with substantial disease burden in China, and data on the economic burden are fundamental for setting priorities in cancer interventions. The medical expenditure for the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer in China has not been fully quantified. This study aimed to examine the medical expenditure of Chinese patients with esophageal cancer and the associated trends.MethodsFrom 2012 to 2014, a hospital-based multicenter retrospective survey was conducted in 37 hospitals in 13 provinces/municipalities across China as a part of the Cancer Screening Program of Urban China. For each esophageal cancer patient diagnosed between 2002 and 2011, clinical information and expense data were extracted by using structured questionnaires. All expense data were reported in Chinese Yuan (CNY; 1 CNY = 0.155 USD) based on the 2011 value and inflated using the year-specific health care consumer price index for China.ResultsA total of 14,967 esophageal cancer patients were included in the analysis. It was estimated that the overall average expenditure per patient was 38,666 CNY, and an average annual increase of 6.27% was observed from 2002 (25,111 CNY) to 2011 (46,124 CNY). The average expenditures were 34,460 CNY for stage I, 39,302 CNY for stage II, 40,353 CNY for stage III, and 37,432 CNY for stage IV diseases (P < 0.01). The expenditure also differed by the therapy type, which was 38,492 CNY for surgery, 27,933 CNY for radiotherapy, and 27,805 CNY for chemotherapy (P < 0.05). Drugs contributed to 45.02% of the overall expenditure.ConclusionsThese conservative estimates suggested that medical expenditures for esophageal cancer in China substantially increased in the last 10 years, treatment for early-stage esophageal cancer costs less than that for advanced cases, and spending on drugs continued to account for a considerable proportion of the overall expenditure.

lncRNA MIAT promotes cell invasion and migration in esophageal cancer

“…Esophageal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors with 400,156 deaths worldwide in 2012 and it exhibits a high incidence in China (1). Of those patients with esophageal cancer, ~90% patients are diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) (1).…”

“…Esophageal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors with 400,156 deaths worldwide in 2012 and it exhibits a high incidence in China (1). Of those patients with esophageal cancer, ~90% patients are diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) (1). However, a lack of progress in chemotherapy and radiotherapy has resulted in little improvement of ESCC treatment, leading to a 5-year survival rate of 15-25% (2).…”

Direct costs of both inpatient and outpatient care for all type cancers: The evidence from Beijing, China

“…Although economic burden of cancer has been assessed in many countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and across the European Union, the current evidence on the cost of cancer treatment in China is limited. So far, studies on cancer in China mostly focus on the incidence and prevalence of cancer, or treatment cost of specific cancer types such as stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, and liver cancer . There are few studies providing valuable evidence for the economic burden of all cancer types.…”

Annual cost of illness of stomach and esophageal cancer patients in urban and rural areas in China: A multi-center study

“…Previous studies in China tended to categorize age into four or more groups and found no clear association between medical expenditure and age group ( 4 , 6 ). In this study, we categorized age into two groups and found that for both cancers, non-elderly patients were associated with lower CPH and more frequent hospitalization ( Supplementary Table S5 ) in urban and rural areas whereas in Japan, greater medical costs were associated with elderly patients ( 11 ).…”

“…Compared with the abundant evidence on the epidemiological burden of stomach and esophageal cancer, only a few researches had been done concerning the economic burden of them at patient level in China ( 4 - 6 ). Moreover, these studies were carried out in either one area (county, province) ( 5 , 6 ) or only urban areas ( 4 ). To date, in-depth studies on the cost of illness of stomach or esophageal cancer at patient level have been conducted mainly in developed countries ( 7 - 12 ).…”