OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer accounts for 1 in 5 of all new female cancers each year in Russia. It significantly affects both social and economic development, deteriorates human capital and slows economic growth. The objective of this study is to estimate social and economic burden of breast cancer in Russia.

METHODS: Social burden was defined as excess mortality, short-term disability, decrease in number of births and life expectancy at birth due to breast cancer. Economic burden was defined as direct medical costs of diagnostics, treatment and monitoring of breast cancer, direct non-medical costs of social benefits to disabled and indirect costs of GDP loss due to excessmortality and disability. Utilization of healthcare resources and short-term disability duration was determined based on health insurance company`s anonymized data in five regions of the Russian Federation and extrapolated on the national level. All indicators were estimated for 2020 and no future costs were considered. Indirect costs were estimated using human capital theory.

RESULTS: In 2020 breast cancer accounted for 20.8 thousand excess deaths, 2 million days of short-term disability, lowered births by 1.2 thousand and life expectancy at birth by 0.14 years. Economic burden of breast cancer was US$ 5,090.5 million, including US$ 684 million direct medical costs, US$ 1,084.6 million direct non-medical costs, and US$ 3,321.8 million indirect economic costs. Inpatient care accounted for the largest part of direct medical costs –US$ 589.1 million (86.1%), while outpatient care was US$ 94.5 million (13.8%). Medication costs were US$ 590.6 million or more than 85% of all direct medical expenditures.

CONCLUSIONS: Social and economic burden of breast cancer is considerable in Russia, which requires new measures for controlling the disease.