Background
Skin cancer, the most common cancer in the U.S., is a major public health problem.
The incidence of nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancer is increasing; however, little
is known about the economic burden of treatment.
Purpose
To examine trends in the treated prevalence and treatment costs of nonmelanoma and
melanoma skin cancers.
Methods
This study used data on adults from the 2002−2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
full-year consolidated files and information from corresponding medical conditions
and medical event files to estimate the treated prevalence and treatment cost of nonmelanoma
skin cancer, melanoma skin cancer, and all other cancer sites. Analyses were conducted
in January 2014.
Results
The average annual number of adults treated for skin cancer increased from 3.4 million
in 2002−2006 to 4.9 million in 2007−2011 (p<0.001). During this period, the average annual total cost for skin cancer increased
from $3.6 billion to $8.1 billion (p=0.001), representing an increase of 126.2%, while the average annual total cost for
all other cancers increased by 25.1%. During 2007−2011, nearly 5 million adults were
treated for skin cancer annually, with average treatment costs of $8.1 billion each
year.
Conclusions
These findings demonstrate that the health and economic burden of skin cancer treatment
is substantial and increasing. Such findings highlight the importance of skin cancer
prevention efforts, which may result in future savings to the healthcare system.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 09, 2014
Identification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc.
