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The economic burden of cancer attributable to obesity in Korea: A population‐based cohort study
Author(s) -
Lee Joo Eun,
Nam Chung Mo,
Lee Sang Gyu,
Park Sohee,
Kim Tae Hyun,
Park EunCheol
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
european journal of cancer care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1365-2354
pISSN - 0961-5423
DOI - 10.1111/ecc.13084
Subject(s) - medicine , obesity , overweight , body mass index , cancer , colorectal cancer , breast cancer , environmental health , cohort , hazard ratio , population , attributable risk , cohort study , cancer registry , gerontology , demography , confidence interval , sociology
Objective Cancer is a major cause of the burden of disease, and obesity is widely recognised one of the most important modifiable risk factor of cancer. Considering the economic impact of obesity and cancer, it is necessary to measure the economic burden of cancer attributable to excess body mass index (BMI). Methods This study used medical check‐up sample cohort data of National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) claims and during 2002–2015. To estimate the costs (direct and indirect) according to obesity‐related cancer sites, we performed a Cox proportional hazard model and cost of illness (COI) methods. Results Among male obesity‐related cancer sites, the largest total costs caused by overweight or obesity were 5.5 trillion USD for liver cancer, 1.8 trillion USD for colorectal cancer and 1.6 trillion USD for kidney cancer. Among women, post‐menopausal breast, liver and colorectal cancers had the largest total costs attributable to excess BMI (breast: 3.7 trillion USD, liver: 2.3 trillion USD, colorectal: 2.1 trillion USD). Conclusions Approximately, 4.5% and 15.8% of total costs in obesity‐related cancers can be reduced in men and women respectively. This study's findings highlight the importance of improved interventions, which can yield healthier lives and economic benefits beyond simply reducing cancer incidence and mortality.