OBJECTIVES: The impact of oesophageal and esophagogastric cancers on the ability of Swiss patients to work and function was not studied. Our objective was to assess that impact and calculate the associated indirect costs.

METHODS: A questionnaire derived from the Productivity Cost Questionnaire of the Institute for Medical Technology Assessment was used to capture patients’ time lost from work, leisure, household activities, and informal care for 4 weeks. Target sample size is 120 participants. The study population includes adults diagnosed at least 3 months with stage I, II, III or IV adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus or adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction, and who received a treatment for the corresponding disease stage. Indirect costs are calculated as a product of the time lost with the estimated earnings of the patients. Here we report an interim analysis of 74 participants.

RESULTS: Patients were 77.0% male, 58.1% aged ≥70 years, 73.3% retired, and 44.6% had a secondary school education. Patients’ distribution by disease stage was 24.3% stage IV, 28.6% stage III, 8.6% stage II, and 8.6% stage I. Most patients reported no impact of the disease and treatment were reported on leisure time (62.2%), household activities (70.3%) or informal care needs (78.4%). This was independent of age and disease stage. The mean loss of time of those affected was 9.5 hours per week for leisure (N=28) and 13.3 hours for household (N=21). Mean received weekly informal care was 11.8 hours (N=16). Among patients employed at the beginning of the four-week recall period (N=14), 57.1% reduced their working time and/or missed work for treatments, while productivity at work decreased for 46.7%.

CONCLUSIONS: Our interim analysis reveals a low burden of oesophageal cancers among Swiss patients. That observation will be re-assessed with the analysis of the complete study population.