Medical Costs Associated with Cutaneous Melanoma: Analysis of Financial Expenses and Treatment Days in the Department of Dermatology, Shinshu University Hospital

Abstract

The concept of financial toxicity refers to the untenable costs of treatment affecting both patients and medical care systems. To further evaluate this phenomenon, we calculated the mean medical costs and number of clinic visits over a two-year period following the initial consultation of 102 patients with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma recruited between 2018 and 2020 in the Department of Dermatology, Shinshu University. A retrospective comparison between 77 patients with early stage 0-II disease and 25 patients with advanced stage III-IV disease revealed 2-year differences of ¥11,494,879 for medical costs (¥835,530 vs. ¥12,330,409), 12 days for outpatient visits (10 vs. 22 days), and 43 days for hospitalization (11 vs. 54 days). Among medical expenses, drug costs accounted for the largest difference, amounting to ¥8,913,297. In patients with stage I-II early-stage melanoma, lesions on the foot sole were associated with ¥482,279 in higher medical costs and 11 more days of hospitalization compared with other lesions. Furthermore, patients who completed adjuvant therapy incurred ¥13,510,420 more in medical costs while requiring 13 more outpatient visit days and 15 more hospitalization days versus those under observation following sentinel lymph node biopsy. From the perspective of financial toxicity associated with cancer care, these findings stress the importance of early detection to address this critical healthcare issue.