Annual cost of hospitalization, inpatient rehabilitation, and sick leave for head and neck cancers in Germany

Background Data on the economic burden of head and neck cancers (HNCs) in Germany is scarce. About 16%–28% of these cancers are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Therefore, the study reported here aimed to assess the annual costs of HPV-related HNCs incurred by hospitalization, inpatient rehabilitation, and sick leave in Germany in 2008.