Years of life lost from cancer is an important measure of population burden – and should be considered when allocating research funds
2005
Years of Life Lost from Cancer and Research Spending
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Burnet N G, Jefferies S J, Benson R J, Hunt D P, Treasure F P
Primary Institution: University of Cambridge
Hypothesis
Is there a mismatch between cancer mortality and research spending?
Conclusion
The study highlights a significant discrepancy between cancer mortality rates and the allocation of research funding.
Supporting Evidence
- Years of life lost (YLL) provides a more accurate measure of cancer burden than crude mortality rates.
- Four cancer types, including CNS tumours and cervix cancer, show a higher burden than indicated by mortality rates.
- Breast cancer and leukaemia receive disproportionately high research funding compared to their population burden.
Takeaway
This study shows that some cancers cause more years of life lost than what is reflected in research funding, meaning some cancers need more money for research.
Methodology
The study calculated years of life lost (YLL) for various cancer types using data from the East Anglian Cancer Registry.
Limitations
Data for some cancer types were not available, which may limit the comprehensiveness of the findings.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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