Economic Burden of Cancer in India

Abstract

Background: Incidence of cancer is increasing alarmingly in India. There are very few public funded cancer centers to cater to the needs of growing population of persons getting diagnosed and living with cancer. Insurance schemes or government funded schemes are few and sparse. Objective: To analyze the economic burden faced by persons living with cancer and their families; both direct and indirect costs. Methods: Literature Search: A comprehensive literature search was made in PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Proquest and Science Direct for retrieving the related studies. Data were analyzed according to the objective. Narrative analysis was adopted to write this review. Conclusion: Persons living with cancer and their families experience significant economic burden. Burden is more in persons with advanced stage of the disease, people living in rural areas and those who belong to low socioeconomic status.