Abdosaleh Jafari, Fatemeh A Hosseini, Faride S Jalali et al.Health Sci Rep. 2024 Aug 21;7(8):e70002
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the Western Hemisphere. It is the third most common cancer in men after prostate and lung cancers and the second most common cancer in women after breast cancer. The data from 37 studies dealing with the costs of patients with colorectal cancer were extracted. Most of the studies were conducted in the United States, and the social perspective was the most common perspective to measure the costs.. The costs of hospitalization, medicine, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy accounted for the largest share of direct medical costs, and the costs of transportation, accommodation, and home care were the greatest share of direct nonmedical costs. Furthermore, the costs associated with disability, absenteeism, and premature death were identified as the main drivers of indirect costs. The findings of this study showed that colorectal cancer imposes great direct and indirect costs on families, the health system, and society. The best way to deal with this disease and, hence, to reduce its economic burden is to take comprehensive preventive measures and modify the lifestyle. In addition, health policymakers can limit the costs of this disease by expanding the screening program.
15 Apr, 2026