BCN HEALTH publishes a systematic review highlighting the substantial economic burden of prostate cancer
Despite advances in early detection, risk-adapted treatment, and precision oncology, the findings indicate that prostate cancer continues to generate high and increasing costs, particularly in advanced stages and near the end of life.
BCN HEALTH has published the study “A Systematic Review of the Economic Burden of Prostate Cancer: Direct and Indirect Cost Perspectives” in PharmacoEconomics, an international peer-reviewed journal specializing in health economics, outcomes research, and the economic evaluation of healthcare interventions.
BCN HEALTH conducted a comprehensive systematic review to assess the direct and indirect costs associated with prostate cancer from a global perspective, with particular attention to studies reflecting current clinical guidelines and contemporary management strategies. The review followed PRISMA 2020 standards and identified cost-of-illness studies published between 2015 and October 2025 through structured searches of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EconLit. A total of 95 studies from 28 countries were included. Cost data were extracted, standardized to 2025 US dollars, and critically appraised using a simplified CHEERS checklist to ensure methodological transparency.
The review shows that prostate cancer imposes a substantial and highly variable economic burden on healthcare systems and society. Direct medical costs differed widely by disease stage, treatment modality, and country, ranging from approximately US$1,200 per patient-year in low-risk, early-stage disease managed with active surveillance, to over US$280,000 per patient-year in advanced stages with severe treatment-related adverse events. Disease progression was identified as a major cost driver: the transition from non-metastatic to metastatic prostate cancer was consistently associated with a sharp escalation in healthcare expenditures, often increasing costs by two- to five-fold or more. In advanced and metastatic castration-resistant disease, systemic therapies and the management of skeletal-related and other severe adverse events accounted for the majority of total costs.
Indirect costs, primarily due to productivity losses from premature mortality, morbidity, and informal caregiving, represented a significant proportion of the overall economic burden, accounting for up to 30% of total prostate cancer–related costs in several studies. Across countries, annual indirect costs ranged from less than US$1,000 per patient-year in early stages to more than US$12,000 per patient-year in advanced disease. Studies consistently showed that productivity losses associated with premature mortality were several times higher than those related to temporary work absence.
Despite advances in early detection, risk-adapted treatment, and precision oncology, the findings indicate that prostate cancer continues to generate high and increasing costs, particularly in advanced stages and near the end of life. The review highlights the economic value of early detection, active surveillance for low-risk patients, and timely, tailored treatment strategies to delay disease progression and avoid high-cost complications.
Overall, this systematic review provides updated, policy-relevant evidence on the global economic burden of prostate cancer. The results offer valuable insights for health authorities, payers, and decision-makers when prioritizing cancer control strategies, allocating healthcare resources, and evaluating the long-term economic impact of innovations in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.
More information can be found at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40273-026-01594-4