Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39844255›Full record

ArticleJournal of health, population, and nutrition2025

The economic burden of breast cancer in western Iran: a cross-sectional cost-of-illness study.

Banafsheh Darvishi Teli, Meysam Behzadifar, Mania Beiranvand, Aziz Rezapour, Seyed Jafar Ehsanzadeh, Samad Azari, Ahad Bakhtiari, Payam Haghighatfard, Mariano Martini, Maryam Saran and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Banafsheh Darvishi TeliHealth Management and Economics Research Center, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Meysam BehzadifarSocial Determinants of Health Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
Mania BeiranvandDepartment of Surgery, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
Aziz RezapourHealth Management and Economics Research Center, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Seyed Jafar EhsanzadehEnglish Language Department, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Samad AzariHospital Management Research Center, Health Management Research Institute, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ahad BakhtiariHealth Equity Research Center (HERC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
Payam HaghighatfardHealth Management and Economics Research Center, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mariano MartiniDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
Maryam SaranSocial Determinants of Health Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
Masoud BehzadifarSocial Determinants of Health Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran. masoudbehzadifar@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBreast cancer is a significant global health challenge, affecting millions annually and imposing a considerable burden on healthcare systems and economies worldwide. This cross-sectional study aims to determine the economic impact of breast cancer in Lorestan Province, western Iran.

methodsA retrospective cost-of-illness analysis utilizing a cross-sectional design was performed from November 2023 to July 2024. Data were collected using patient medical records and telephonic interviews. Costs were categorized into direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and indirect costs. A bottom-up approach was employed for cost calculation from a societal viewpoint, with a prevalence-based analysis.

resultsThe study analyzed 525 patients with an average age of 42.74 ± 11.75 years. The total economic burden of breast cancer was estimated at $5,394,409.13, with a mean of $10,275.07 per patient. Direct medical costs comprised 70.2% of the total expenses, primarily attributed to hospitalization, chemotherapy, and laboratory tests. Direct non-medical costs, including accommodation and transportation for patients and their companions, accounted for 12.5%. Indirect costs, largely stemming from productivity losses due to morbidity and mortality, represented 17.3% of the total burden.

conclusionBreast cancer imposes a substantial economic burden on patients and their families in Lorestan Province. Enhancing health insurance coverage, providing government subsidies for treatment, and improving healthcare infrastructure to offer advanced diagnostic and treatment options locally are critical steps to alleviate this burden. Early detection and prevention programs can facilitate earlier diagnosis and reduce treatment costs. Comprehensive policies addressing both medical and non-medical expenses are necessary to improve patients' quality of life and lessen the financial challenges associated with breast cancer in Iran.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCost of IllnessHealth Care CostsHealth ExpendituresAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIranMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesBreast cancerCost of illnessCross-sectional studyEconomic burdenHealth policyIran

Identifiers

PMID39844255
PMCPMC11756070

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.