An estimate of the cost of treating melanoma disease in the state of Sao Paulo - Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to estimate the direct cost of diagnosing and treating melanoma disease in Sao Paulo (Brazil) between the years 2000 and 2007.


METHODS
The project Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology was used, adapted to the proceedings of SOBECCan Foundation. The estimated costs were based on the values of the medical treatment paid by the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) and private healthcare insurance companies (PHIC) in 2007.


RESULTS
The total cost was estimated in R$33,012,725.1 (SUS) and R$76,133,662.8 (PHIC). Stages 0, I and II comprised about 4.2% (SUS) and 1.3% (PHIC) of the total cost; stages III and IV amounted to 95.8% and 98.7% of the total cost, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of malignant melanoma in its initial stages reduces treatment costs generating considerable savings of resources for both National Health System and private healthcare insurance companies.
Souza
Reynaldo José Sant Anna Pereira de
RJ
Fundação SobecCan, Hospital do Câncer de Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. reynaldojsantanna@gmail.com
Mattedi
Adriana Prest
AP
Rezende
Marcelo Lacerda
ML
Corrêa
Marcelo de Paula
Mde P
Duarte
Etiene Marques
EM
D001938:Brazil; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000191:economics; D017149:Private Sector / Q000191:economics; D017150:Public Sector / Q000191:economics; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy