Valuing a reduction in the risk of non‑fatal cancer

Cancer can result from exposure to various environmental contaminants and chemicals, including heavy metals, pesticides and pathogens. In addition to the risk of mortality, cancer can also lead to non-fatal health effects that degrade patients' quality of life. However, no comprehensive study to-date has assessed the morbidity burden of cancer, making it difficult to quantify its true economic impact. This paper seeks to fill that gap. It presents findings from a new stated preference study examining individuals’ willingness-to-pay to avoid the physical, emotional and economic burdens of surviving cancer across 10 countries (Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States). It serves as a component of a broader project on Surveys on Willingness-to-Pay to Avoid Negative Chemicals-Related Health Effects (SWACHE) seeking to establish internationally comparable values for the willingness-to-pay to avoid negative health effects due to chemicals exposure. The findings presented herein can be used in cost-benefit analyses of policies that affect exposure to known or suspected carcinogens, contributing to more effective and equitable public health protection.