Economic burden of colorectal and breast cancers attributable to lack of physical activity in Brazil

Author(s)

Rezende, Leandro F. M. ^[1] ; Ferrari, Gerson ^[2] ; Bahia, Luciana Ribeiro ^[3] ; Rosa, Roger Dos Santos ^{[3, 4]} ; Machado da Rosa, Michelle Quarti ^[4] ; de Souza, Romulo Cristovao ^[5] ; Lee, Dong Hoon ^[6] ; Giovannucci, Edward ^{[7, 8, 9]} ; Eluf-Neto, Jose ^[10]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Med Prevent, Rua Botucatu 740, BR-04023062 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Santiago Chile USACH, Escuela Ciencias Actividad Fis Deporte & Salud, Santiago - Chile

^[3] Univ Estado Rio De Janeiro UERJ, Natl Inst Sci & Technol Hlth Technol Assessment I, Rio De Janeiro - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Natl Inst Sci & Technol Hlth Technol Assessment I, Dept Med Social, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[5] Fac Ciencias Med UERJ, Dept Tecnol Informacao & Educ Saude, Rio De Janeiro - Brazil

^[6] Harvard TH Chan Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Nutr, Boston, MA - USA

^[7] Harvard TH Chan Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Epidemiol, Boston, MA - USA

^[8] Harvard Med Sch, Boston, MA 02115 - USA

^[9] Brigham & Womens Hosp, Dept Med, Channing Div Network Med, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115 - USA

^[10] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Med Prevent, Fac Med FMUSP, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: BMC PUBLIC HEALTH; v. 21, n. 1 JUN 22 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

BackgroundThe increasing number of cancer patients has an escalating economic impact to public health systems (approximately, International dollars- Int\$ 60 billion annually in Brazil). Physical activity is widely recognized as one important modifiable risk factor for cancer. Herein, we estimated the economic costs of colon and post-menopausal breast cancers in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) attributable to lack of physical activity.MethodsPopulation attributable fractions were calculated using prevalence data from 57,962 adults who answered a physical activity questionnaire in the Brazilian National Health Survey, and relative risks of colon and breast cancer from a meta-analysis. Annual costs (1 Int\$=2.1 reais) with hospitalization, chemotherapy and radiotherapy were obtained from the Hospital and Ambulatory Information Systems of the Brazilian SUS. Two counterfactual scenarios were considered: theoretical minimum risk exposure level (>= 8000 MET-min/week) and physical activity guidelines (>= 600 MET-min/week).ResultsAnnually, the Brazilian SUS expended Int\$ 4.5 billion in direct costs related to cancer treatment, of which Int\$ 553 million due to colon and breast cancers. Direct costs related to colon and breast cancers attributable to lack of physical activity were Int\$ 23.4 million and Int\$ 26.9 million, respectively. Achieving at least the physical activity guidelines would save Int\$ 10.3 mi (colon, Int\$ 6.4 mi; breast, Int\$ 3.9 mi).ConclusionsLack of physical activity accounts for Int\$ 50.3 million annually in direct costs related to colon and post-menopausal breast cancers. Population-wide interventions aiming to promote physical activity are needed to reduce the economic burden of cancer in Brazil. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/23941-9 - Translational cancer epidemiology: a study of physical activity and cancer prevention
• Grantee: Leandro Fórnias Machado de Rezende
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral