OBJECTIVES: In Italy, more than 21.000 workers lost their ability to work because of a cancer. The aim of this study is to estimate the cancer economic impact on the Social Security System in Italy, during the last years.

METHODS: The economic analysis is focused on two types of social security benefits: Disability Benefit (DB), for workers with reduced workability, and Incapacity Pension (IP) for workers without workability. Data are derived from the database of disability insurance awards of the Italian National Institute of Social Security (INPS). Considering the period between 2014 and 2019, the analysis estimates beneficiaries and related amount of costs due to cancer. Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis and Deterministic Sensitivity analysis were performed in order to test the robustness of the estimation.

RESULTS: Estimates are ongoing, but preliminary results show a significative economic burden on the social security system due to cancer: about € 2 bilion every year. Moreover, there is an upward trend in Disability Benefit beneficiaries (+ 21% in 2019, compared to 2014) and, at the same time, a decline in Incapacity Pension beneficiaries (-20%).

CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first attempt to estimate the overall social costs induced by cancer in Italy. The disability insurance costs caused by cancers have a significative and constantly increasing impact on the Italian Social Security System. Exploring what is hidden in these dynamics and ensuring a more rapid access to innovative treatments could reduce these costs (accompanied by increase in QoL), through the reduction of people requesting a Social Security benefit to INPS.