Indirect economic effects of long-term breast cancer survival

The indirect morbidity/disability costs of breast cancer may be rising as a consequence of the growth in the population of long-term survivors. This study was conducted to test whether women who have survived breast cancer for at least 5 years experience long-lasting or continuing economic consequences that are attributable to their disease.

A group of 105 women who initially had been treated for breast cancer approximately 5 years before were interviewed to obtain data on economic, demographic, and health changes in the period since diagnosis. An age-matched and work-matched group of 105 women without cancer also was interviewed to obtain the same data for the same time period. Key changes in the economic position of subjects and their families were measured, including changes in work effort, pay rates, and annual earnings of working women and changes in household earnings, income, and assets of all women.

These preliminary empirical findings suggest that breast cancer exacts an economic toll from long-term survivors. In particular, survivors who were working at the time of their diagnosis experienced significantly larger reductions in annual market earnings over the 5-year study period than did working control subjects. These losses appear to arise mostly from reduced work effort, not changes in pay rates. Also, changes in total household earnings were lower for survivors, suggesting the presence of family adjustments to the disease. However, no significant differences were detected between the groups in changes in total income or assets over the study period.

Clinicians and policy makers must seek ways to minimize the indirect economic losses that are attributable to breast cancer.