title: Hospitalization costs of lung cancer diagnosis in Turkey: Is there a difference between histological types and stages?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To establish the direct costs of diagnosing lung cancer in hospitalized patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital data of patients who were hospitalized and diagnosed as lung cancer between September 2013 and August 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who underwent surgery for diagnosis and who were initiated with cancer treatment during the same hospital stay were excluded from study. Histological types and stages of lung cancer were determined. Expenses were grouped as laboratory costs, pathology costs, diagnostic imaging costs, overnight room charges, medication costs, blood center costs, consumable expenditures' costs and inpatient service charges (including consultants' service, electrocardiogram, follow-up, nursing services, diagnostic interventions).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 68 patients, 55 (81%) had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 13 (19%) had small cell lung cancer (SCLC). 47% of patients with NSCLC had stage 4 disease and 86% of patients with SCLC had extensive stage disease. Median total cost per patient was 910 (95% CI= 832-1291) Euros (€). Of all costs, 37% were due to inpatient service charges and 22% were medication costs. Median total cost per patient was 912 (95% CI= 783-1213) € in NSCLC patients and 908 (95% CI= 456-2203) € in SCLC patients (p> 0.05). In NSCLC group, total cost per patient was 873 (95% CI= 591-1143) € in stage 1-2-3 diseases and 975 (95% CI= 847-1536) € in stage 4 disease (p> 0.05). In SCLC group total cost per patient was 937 € in limited stage and 502 (95% CI= 452-2508) € in extensive stage (p> 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no significant difference between costs related to diagnosis of different lung cancer types and stages in patients hospitalized in a university hospital.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey. mrttrk@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Türk
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yıldırım
authors.forename: Ahmet Selim
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Yurdakul
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Öztürk
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000473:pathology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003954:Diagnostic Services / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000473:pathology; D014421:Turkey