OBJECTIVES: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the most common cancer type in Greece. The objective of the systematic literature review was to summarize the economic burden of lung cancer in Greece and identify current data gaps, and support the design of future real-world studies.

METHODS: A systematic search on studies published in English on cost of illness of lung cancer was performed in MEDLINE-(PubMed), Scopus and ScienceDirect. Databases were searched until January 2024, and records were screened based on eligibility criteria. Following the initial literature search, the abstracts and full texts of the identified studies were reviewed and assessed for inclusion based on pre-determined criteria. The data of selected studies were extracted into a data extraction form and consequently were synthesized.

RESULTS: Of the 72 studies screened, 7 were included. The reported burden was sourced only from hospital data and was categorized as direct costs and indirect costs. The majority of the studies (n=6) reported on direct costs, with one study reporting on both direct and indirect costs. The total direct medical cost per patient increased from approximately €15,000 in 2015 to €25,333 in 2023, with drug acquisition costs being the key driver of the total direct cost. Additionally, the end-of-life care cost in the last 6 months of a patient's life was estimated at around €8,000 per patient, with pharmaceutical costs comprising the largest proportion of the total cost. One study also reported that indirect costs were considerably higher for patients than for family caregivers.

CONCLUSIONS: The economic burden of lung cancer has increased substantially over the past decade in Greece. However, there is limited evidence on both direct and indirect costs, as well as on the costs associated with different types of lung cancer. Further real-world studies are needed in Greece to address this gap.