Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Distant recurrence of early breast cancer (eBC) is associated with considerable direct and indirect costs, resulting in a substantial burden on healthcare systems and society. This study aimed to estimate the societal burden of distant recurrent hormone receptor-positive (HR+) eBC in Turkiye.
METHODS: Both the direct and indirect costs were estimated. Indirect costs were calculated using the human capital approach, quantifying productivity losses associated with both paid and unpaid work. Estimates of recurrence risk, presenteeism, absenteeism, employment status, and Turkish population data stratified by gender, age group, and disease stage were obtained from published studies. A 10-year time horizon was applied in the model. Productivity losses were monetized using gross value added. Direct treatment costs for BC were estimated based on a previous cost-of-illness study that utilized real-world data from the records of the Turkish Social Security Institution.
RESULTS: In 2026, 2,226 cases of distant recurrent HR+ eBC were estimated, of which 1,780 were fatal. These cases resulted in a productivity loss of 6.65 million hours of unpaid work and 3.62 million hours of paid work. The associated indirect cost was estimated at 1.65 billion TRY, reflecting the loss to the Turkish economy due to reduced productivity. Direct medical costs for the treatment of distant recurrent HR+ eBC were estimated at 1.7 billion TRY. The majority of expenditures were attributable to patients diagnosed at stage II (46.0%) and stage III (41.9%). On average, each patient lost 4,616 hours of paid and unpaid work. The total socioeconomic burden per patient was estimated at 742,876 TRY.
CONCLUSIONS: Recurrence of HR+ eBC is a burden both on the patient and society. Our study has estimated social costs (1.65B TRY) close to medical costs (1.7B TRY) for Turkiye. This indicates the importance of therapies that avoid or delay recurrences in HR+ eBC.