Cost Analysis and Financial Burden of Oral Cancer Care in India: A Systematic Review
Medhini Madi, Mathangi Kumar
Abstract
Objective:
This systematic review aimed to comprehensively assess the economic burden of oral cancer based on studies performed in India.
Methods:
A systematic electronic search on databases like Scopus, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Web of Science from inception to July 2024 was performed. Two independent reviewers conducted the search in the mentioned databases. Comprehensive data regarding the stages in oral cancer, location, duration of hospital stay, and direct and indirect healthcare costs (medical and nonmedical) were documented. Studies addressing the cost analysis of malignancies in other locations other than oral cancer as well as those documented in geographic locations other than India were excluded.
Results:
A total of 3883 articles were identified across various databases, of which seven were assessed for full-text eligibility and three were included for final data extraction. Of the direct healthcare costs involved in the management of oral cancer, surgical management was identified as the most expensive treatment modality. Patients with Stage IV oral cancer incurred expenses twice as high as those of patients with Stage I oral cancer.
Conclusion:
The out-of-pocket expenditure associated with oral cancer is substantial, and costs increase markedly with the advancing disease stage. These findings underscore the urgent need for strengthened preventive strategies and early detection initiatives to reduce the financial burden and improve the overall quality of life among patients.