The burden of illness associated with renal cell carcinoma in the United States

Background There were over 36,000 new cases of kidney cancer reported in the United States in 2004, the most common type being renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Available treatments for localized RCC frequently lead to cure; however RCC patients with advanced disease have limited treatment options and low survival rates. Data on the economic burden of RCC are limited. Methods A prevalence-based model was used to estimate the aggregate annual societal cost burden of RCC in the U.S., including costs of treatment and lost productivity. Key parameters in the model include: the annual number of patients treated for RCC by age group and cancer stage; utilization of cancer treatments; unit costs; work-days missed; and wage rates. Multiplying stratum-specific distributions of treatment by annual quantities of treatments and unit costs yields estimates of RCC-related health-care costs. Multiplying stratum-specific estimates of annual workdays missed by average wage rates yields estimates of RCC-related lost productivity. Results The annual prevalence of RCC in the U.S. was estimated to be 109,500 cases. The associated annual burden (inflated to 2005 U.S.$) was approximately $4.4 billion ($40,176 per patient). Health-care costs and lost productivity accounted for 92.4% ($4.1 billion) and 7.6% ($334 million), respectively. Reflecting its higher prevalence, the total cost associated with localized RCC accounted for the greatest share (78.2%), followed by regional, distant, and unstaged RCC, at 18.3%, 2.8%, and 0.7%, respectively. Conclusions The economic burden of RCC in the U.S. is substantial. Interventions to reduce the prevalence of RCC have the potential to yield considerable economic benefits.