Evaluation of productivity losses due to premature mortality from colorectal cancer

Abstract

Cancer is responsible annually for around 27% of all deaths in Spain, 15% of which are caused by colorectal cancer. This malignancy has increased its incidence considerably over the past years, which surely impacts global productivity losses. The evaluation of lost productivity due to premature mortality provides valuable information that guides healthcare policies into the establishment of prevention and screening programs. The purpose of this study was to assess the productivity losses from premature deaths due to colorectal cancer over a ten year period (2008–2017). The costs derived from premature mortality due to this highly prevalent cancer were estimated using data on mortality, age- and sex-specific reference salaries and unemployment rates in Spain via the human capital approach. Between 2008 and 2017, 15,103 persons died per year from colorectal cancer, representing almost 15% of all cancer-related deaths. Annually, 25,333 years of potential productive life were estimated to be lost on average, 14,992 in males and 10,341 in females. Productivity losses summed €510.8 million in in 2017, and the cancers of the colon and rectum accounted for 9.6% of cancer-related productivity losses in 2017 in Spain. Colorectal cancer has an important weight in terms of productivity losses within the Spanish population, consequently, prevention and early detection programmes should be promoted and implemented to achieve significant reductions in mortality and productivity losses.