The researchers found that about 90 percent of the direct cost for treating melanoma was attributable to those with advanced stages of the disease. They represent less than 20 percent of all patients. Our study looked strictly at the cost of the actual treatment. If all of the other factors were calculated, we feel the economic cost of melanoma would be several-fold higher. The earlier the melanoma is diagnosed, the higher the survival rate.
Early detection saves both lives and money.
One disturbing finding revealed that when individual groups are segregated, the single most costly consumption of healthcare money is terminal care for the patient. Researchers used 1997 Boston area reimbursement schedules to determine individual treatment costs. When available, Medicare reimbursements based upon CPT codes were used as a source. In addition, the estimate for the number of newly diagnosed people with melanoma in 1997 was provided by information obtained through the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program. The complete study appears in the May issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.