Valuing a reduction in the risk of non-fatal cancer: A large-scale multi-country stated preference approach

Daniel Herrera-Araujo, Henrik Andersson, Damien Dussaux, Maria Kostopoulou and Olof Bystrom

No 274, OECD Environment Working Papers from OECD Publishing

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: cancer; chemicals regulation; economic valuation; health risk; health valuation; monetised benefits; morbidity valuation; non-fatal cancer; non-market valuation; stated preferences; surveys; value of a statistical case; willingness-to-pay (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D61 I18 J17 K32 Q51 Q53 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-05-20
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oec:envaaa:274-en

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