Procjena godina života prilagođenih prema nesposobnosti (DALYs) i troškova povezanih s EU financiranjem za endometriozu i rak jajnika u razdoblju od 1990. do 2021. godine

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between European Union (EU) research funding and the disease burden of endometriosis and ovarian cancer between 1990 and 2021, measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). It also assessed differences in the level of EU funding and disease burden between the two conditions. The study hypothesized that a positive correlation exists between EU research funding and disease burden for both conditions, and that significant differences in funding levels and disease burden would be observed between endometriosis and ovarian cancer. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted retrieving project data from the CORDIS database and DALYs data from the IHME Global Burden of Disease database. Included were studies aiming to improve treatment strategies, understand disease development, or address related conditions such as pelvic pain and infertility. Statistical analysis involved normality testing (Kolmogorov-Smirnov), with Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients used to assess associations between funding and disease burden. Analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 31.0 and JASP 0.19.3.0, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 8 EU-funded projects on endometriosis and 27 on ovarian cancer were included between 1990 and 2021. The European Union allocated €7,750,571.05 to endometriosis and €26,013,905.52, a considerably higher funding amount, to ovarian cancer (p = 0.025). Ovarian cancer also showed a substantially higher disease burden (mean DALYs: 867,463) compared to endometriosis (mean DALYs: 239,529; p < 0.001). Spearman correlation analysis showed no statistically significant relationship between total DALYs and EU funding for endometriosis (ρ = 0.339, p = 0.077), whereas a significant positive correlation was found for ovarian cancer (ρ = 0.596, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings demonstrate a funding disparity, with endometriosis significantly underfunded compared to ovarian cancer, despite its high prevalence and chronic impact. While funding for ovarian cancer aligned with its disease burden, no such correlation was observed for endometriosis, indicating continued underrecognition of the latter in research and public health. These results underline the need for readjustment of funding priorities to better address women’s health, improve care, and reduce the long-term burden of endometriosis.