Assessing the short-term and long-term burden of illness in cervical cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is associated with significant clinical, social, and financial burdens. Infection is often asymptomatic, which increases the risk of unwitting transmission. Up to 29 million American women between the ages of 14 and 59 years are currently infected, and 80% of women will contract the infection by 50 years of age. Persistent oncogenic HPV infection is the leading cause of cervical dysplasia and neoplasia, and evidence shows that oncogenic HPV is present in 99.7% of cervical cancer specimens. Cervical cancer and cervical dysplasias are responsible for the vast majority of morbidities and deaths associated with HPV-related illness. The direct annual healthcare costs for screening, treating, and managing abnormalities related to cervical cancer and cervical dysplasias in the United States are estimated to be as high as $4.6 billion. Although the direct costs of cervical cancer are substantial, only 10% of all expenditures derive from invasive disease; more than two thirds of the total cost is attributable to screening and testing. Annual indirect costs resulting from lost productivity and loss of earnings due to premature death are also significant and are estimated to be higher than direct costs.