Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer mortality among men in Ghana and represents a growing public health burden. Despite its high prevalence and mortality, evidence on the economic costs borne by patients in the Ghanaian context remains limited. This study assessed the economic burden of managing prostate cancer among patients in the Greater Accra Region.
METHODS: A cross-sectional cost-of-illness design was employed, using quantitative methods. Data were collected via structured questionnaires administered to 174 prostate cancer patients receiving treatment at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital. Direct costs (medical and non-medical) and indirect costs were estimated using patient-reported data. Indirect costs were calculated using the human capital approach, incorporating absenteeism, travel time, and waiting time. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and present findings.
RESULTS: The mean patient age was 65 years (SD = 10.06), with the majority retired (64%) and most presenting at an advanced cancer stage (43.7%). The total economic cost of managing prostate cancer over three months was GHS 2,119,261.11 (USD 206,073.62), with a mean cost per patient of GHS 12,179.66 (USD 1,184.33), equivalent to approximately 2.5 months of patients' average income. Direct costs accounted for 92.12% of total economic cost, with surgery, laboratory and imaging tests, hormone therapy, and medications as the primary cost drivers. Indirect costs, driven largely by absenteeism, contributed 7.88% of the total. Patient productivity losses constituted approximately 95% of total indirect costs. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of these estimates under varying cost assumptions.
CONCLUSIONS: Managing prostate cancer in Ghana imposes a substantial economic burden on patients, primarily through direct medical costs. The findings present the need for policy reforms, including the incorporation of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) benefit package, to reduce catastrophic health expenditure and improve access to care.