Productivity Loss Due to Oral Cancer in India

Context

A study conducted by the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), a premier cancer treatment and research institute in India, estimated that the productivity loss of the country due to oral cancer in 2022 was approximately USD 5.6 billion. This significant economic impact highlights the severity of oral cancer and its implications for both individuals and the nation.

Key findings from the study

• Global Mortality and Risk:

• • • India is the country that holds two-thirds of the global cancer mortality due to mouth cancer.
    • The country is more likely to develop Oral cancer in younger people, increasing the risk of this disease.

• Patient Characteristics:

• • • The study analysed 100 patients treated between 2019 and 2020, with a follow-up of 36 months.
    • The median age of these patients was 47 years, and the majority were male.

• Survival Rates:

• • • Disease-specific survival for early-stage and advanced-stage oral cancer was 85% and 70%, respectively.

• Productivity Loss Calculation:

• • • Applying the human capital approach, the analysis was estimating the productivity loss impossible because of premature mortality.
    • Early diagnosis resulted in a loss of USD 41.900 for beginners’ stages, while for advanced-stage patients, it was USD 96.044.
    • Supplementing this for the entire population, the total value of the premature deaths caused by oral cancer amounted to USD 5.6 billion in 2022, which is equal to 0.18% of Indian GDP.

• Age and Socioeconomic Impact:

• • • In India the age of retirement is around 62. The age of death or total relapse due to any incurable disease occurred mostly in childhood and adult (median age 41.5 years).
    • Both those with early stage and advanced stage of cancers hail from the same middle-class social status.
    • The fact that 53% of the patients needed schemes specific to their health insurance condition or financial aid was eye opening.

• Gender-Specific Loss:

• • Productivity lost due to premature mortality among females and males was Rs 57,22,803 and Rs 71,83,917, respectively, per death.

Oral cancer

• Oral cancer, also recognized as oropharyngeal malignancy, is a subtype of head and neck cancer that can affect the lips, mouth, and upper throat.
• There can be a diversity in the affected areas, which can be the gums, tongue, cheeks, roof, and the floor of the mouth.
• The disease causes ulcers and patches of white and red membranes in the mouth that can result in loose teeth, growths, pain, and trouble swallowing.
• Risk factors that determine oral cancer onset comprise tobacco smoking, large drinking, sunlight exposure to the lips and HPV infection.

Epidemiology of Oral Cancer in India

• In India, oral cancer is considered the most prevalent cancer type, responsible for almost 30% of all laborious cancer cases seen in the nation today.
• Based on the Indian oral cancer incidence rate, it is estimated that there would be 10.4 cases per 100,000 individuals, with a high mortality rate of 6.2 per 100,000.
• In India, the major risk factors for oral cancer include smoking and chewing tobacco, and heavy drinking of alcohol.

Productivity Loss due to Oral Cancer

• In India, loss of productivity due to oral cancer is mind-boggling since a recent research took into account a figure of about $5.6 billion as the economic burden of oral cancer in India in 2022.
• Social costs of road accidents are both the direct and indirect ones and they include medical costs, lost productivity and, in addition, reduced economic output.
• The effect of oral cancer’s productivity loss reaches far beyond just being a huge economic burden but is also a ‘social and human burden’ that has negative consequences on the quality of life of the affected patients and their families.

Conclusion

Oral cancer is a significant public health burden in India, with a high incidence and mortality rate. To reduce this burden, measures such as early detection and treatment, reduction in tobacco consumption and betel quid chewing, improvement in oral hygiene practices, increase in awareness, and implementation of cancer screening programs can be taken.

Source: BS

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q. Discuss the socioeconomic implications of oral cancer on productivity in India, focusing on the factors contributing to the significant loss estimated at $5.6 billion in 2022. Evaluate the role of preventive measures, early detection, and access to affordable treatment in mitigating this economic burden.

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