Rising Inpatient Burden of Female Breast Cancer in Sri Lanka: A Population-Based Analysis of Hospital Admissions and Deaths, 2017–2022

Background : While breast cancer epidemiology in South Asia is widely studied, data on its actual hospital burden remains sparse. This study analyzed magnitudes and trends in hospital admissions and hospital deaths from female breast cancer compared to other common cancers, breast cancer incidence and mortality in Sri Lanka. Method: A retrospective analysis of hospital admissions and outcomes from 2017–2022 was conducted using the national eIMMR database, using standard descriptive statistics. Results: Breast cancer accounted for 22–27% of cancer-related hospital admissions in women annually, from 2017 to 2022. In 2022, it accounted for 26.6% of cancer admissions, requiring 13.1 times and 3.2 times more hospitalizations than thyroid and colorectal cancers in females. The highest hospital burden was observed in women aged 40–69 years, who accounted for nearly 80% of breast cancer admissions in 2022 (21.4% in 40–49 years, 30.17% in 50–59 years, and 28.05% in 60–69 years). Majority (63%) of breast cancer deaths occurred in hospitals, accounting for one in five female cancer-related hospital deaths in 2019. Conclusions : Breast cancer accounted for the highest number of hospital admissions and deaths, with a disproportionately high, increasing hospital burden, compared to other common cancers in women. Moreover, given that the majority of breast cancer deaths in Sri Lanka also occur in government hospitals, the study highlights the escalating high burden of breast cancer on Sri Lanka’s National Healthcare System.