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Diagnosis and management costs of suspicious skin lesions from a population-based melanoma screening programme
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Diagnosis and management costs of suspicious skin lesions from a population-based melanoma screening programme

L Gordon, Philippa H Youl, M Elwood, M Janda, I T Ring, John B Lowe and J F Aitken
Journal of Medical Screening, Vol.14(2), pp.98-102
2007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1258/096914107781261963
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https://doi.org/10.1258/096914107781261963View
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Abstract

Public Health and Health Services melanoma skin cancer diagnosis
Background: Recently, massive increases in health-care costs for the diagnosis and management of skin lesions have been observed (2000-05). The aim of this study was to describe the health system costs attributed to the diagnosis and management of suspicious skin lesions detected during a trial of a population melanoma screening programme (1998-2001). Setting: Queensland, Australia. Methods: Data from the trial and Medicare Australia were used to categorize and cost all suspicious skin lesions arising from the trial, which included general practitioner consultations, diagnosis/management and pathology. Comparisons were made with other screened and unscreened populations. Results: Overall, 2982 lesions were treated within the trial producing a mean cost of Aus$118 per lesion. Excisions for benign lesions contributed the greatest proportion of total costs (45%). The total cost burden was approximately 10% higher for men than women, and 63% of overall costs were for persons aged >50 years. For diagnosis and management procedures, the estimated average cost per 1000 individuals was Aus$23,560 for men aged >50 years from the skin cancer screening trial, compared with Aus$26,967 for BreastScreen Australia and Aus$3042 for the National Cervical Screening Program. Conclusions: The proportion of costs for benign skin lesions and biopsies arising from the screening programme were no higher than in the two-year period outside the trial. While comparisons are difficult, it appears that diagnostic and management costs for skin cancer as a result of screening may be comparable with those for BreastScreen Australia, if screening is targeted at men aged ≥50 years.

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