The direct and indirect costs of breast cancer present a significant burden on patients, caregivers, and society. However, indirect costs such as costs associated with productivity loss and informal caring are often under-represented in the literature, which restricts our ability to contextualise such costs alongside, or against, direct costs associated with healthcare.

There was substantial heterogeneity in how studies were conducted and associated cost estimates within countries, types of breast cancer (e.g., hormone receptor-positive, triple-negative breast cancer), as well as categories of cost (e.g., diagnosis, drug, and indirect cost).

A variety of costing studies exist internationally; however, most cost-related studies are limited to setting-specific direct costs associated with breast cancer, rather than more national (and international) holistic costing studies covering both direct and indirect costs. This suggests a potentially limited scope is informing policy and practice, which could have far-reaching implications for patients, families, healthcare systems, and the broader economy.