Cost Analysis Related to Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Cervical Cancer in Antigua and Barbuda - A Prevalence-Based Cost-of-Illness Study

Sep 21, 2026

Cervical cancer remains a major global public health concern, and in Antigua and Barbuda it ranks among the top five cancers for female incidence and mortality. Prior evidence on diagnosis, treatment, and management costs in the country was absent. Using a prevalence-based cost-of-illness approach from four study sites for 2017–2021, the study estimated annual prevalence and direct medical costs with both top-down and bottom-up methods. Total annual costs were USD 0.24 million (USD 0.19–0.30 million), driven by treatment (USD 112,863.76), post-treatment side-effect care (USD 67,406.57), and diagnostics (USD 26,238.58).

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Article Cost Analysis Related to Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Cervical Cancer in Antigua and Barbuda: A Prevalence-Based Cost-of-Illness Study Andre A. N. Bovell 1, *, Cebisile Ngcamphalala 1, Dane Abbott 2, Jabulani Ncayiyana 1 and Themba G. Ginindza 1,3 Citation: Bovell, A.A.N.; Ngcamphalala, C.; Abbott, D.; Ncayiyana, J.; Ginindza, T.G. Cost Analysis Related to Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Cervical Cancer in Antigua and Barbuda: A Prevalence-Based Cost-of-Illness Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 1685 . [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)ijerph21121685 Academic Editor: Thomas Davidson Received: 19 October 2024 Revised: 14 December 2024 Accepted: 16 December 2024 Published: 18 December 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Discipline of Public Health Medicine, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa; [cn2323@cumc.columbia.edu](cn2323@cumc.columbia.edu) (C.N.); [ncayiyanaj@ukzn.ac.za](ncayiyanaj@ukzn.ac.za) (J.N.); [ginindza@ukzn.ac.za](ginindza@ukzn.ac.za) (T.G.G.) 2 Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, St. John’s 35301, Antigua and Barbuda; [dane.abbott@msjmc.org](dane.abbott@msjmc.org) 3 Cancer & Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit (CIDERU), College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa * Correspondence: [222081852@stu.ukzn.ac.za](222081852@stu.ukzn.ac.za); Tel.: +27-1-268-736-2389 Abstract: Cervical cancer remains a significant public health issue globally. In Antigua and Barbuda, cervical cancer is ranked among the top five most common cancers in terms of incidence and mortality among females. There is no evidence that the costs of diagnosing, treating, and managing this cancer have been studied before in Antigua and Barbuda. From the providers’ perspective, this study aimed to estimate costs associated with cervical cancer in Antigua and Barbuda. The prevalence-based cost-of-illness methodology was used to assess patient data abstracted from four study sites for the period 2017–2021, and to derive the annual prevalence. Top-down and bottom-up costing approaches were used to estimate direct medical costs. Costs were computed using the 2021 price level and converted to United States Dollars (USD) . Total annual direct medical costs of cervical cancer were estimated at USD 0.24 million (ranging between USD 0.19 million and USD 0.30 million) . Major cost drivers were treatment (USD 112,863.76), post-treatment side-effects care (USD 67,406.57), and the diagnostic process (USD 26,238.58) . The overall direct medical unit costs for managing a case were estimated at USD 115,822.09 . Our study reflects the current estimates for managing cervical cancer and provides evidence to complement cervical cancer prevention and cost containment measures in Antigua and Barbuda. Keywords: Antigua and Barbuda; uterine cervical neoplasms; cervical cancer; cost of illness; economic burden; cost analysis 1. Introduction The burden of cervical cancer continues to be a significant public health challenge worldwide [1] . Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in terms of incidence and mortality among women [1] . In 2020, cervical cancer accounted for about 604,000 new cases and 342,000 cancer deaths, with its burden disproportionately higher in low-income countries compared to high income countries [1] . In Antigua and Barbuda, cervical cancer is ranked among the most common cancers among women in terms of incidence and mortality [2,3] . Cervical cancer is known

FAQs

What was the goal of the cost study in Antigua and Barbuda?

To estimate costs associated with cervical cancer in Antigua and Barbuda from the providers’ perspective.

Which costing approach and time period were used?

A prevalence-based cost-of-illness methodology used patient data abstracted from four study sites for 2017–2021, with both top-down and bottom-up approaches for direct medical costs.

What were the main cost drivers identified?

Treatment was the largest driver (USD 112,863.76), followed by post-treatment side-effects care (USD 67,406.57) and diagnostic processes (USD 26,238.58).

How large were the estimated annual direct medical costs?

Total annual direct medical costs were estimated at USD 0.24 million, ranging between USD 0.19 million and USD 0.30 million.

Sep 21, 2026

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