A real-world direct cost associated with a 4-year postdiagnosis follow-up in a population-based cohort of patients with melanoma by clinical–pathological characteristics

In times of limited resources, data on the costs of disease should be one of the primary factors assisting policymakers in attaining the best value for money. This study aimed to analyze the real-world direct costs associated with a 4-year postdiagnosis follow-up of a population-based cohort of patients with cutaneous melanoma stratified by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The cost analysis was conducted from the perspective of the health system. Data on visits to outpatient clinics, specialist services, drug prescriptions, hospital or hospice admissions, and treatments at the emergency department were obtained from the regional administrative subject-level databases (see below). The cost of any diagnostic or therapeutic (surgical or otherwise) interventions was based on the reimbursement rates established by the Veneto Regional Authority. This study revealed that direct healthcare costs for patients with melanoma are associated with sociodemographic characteristics, that is, male gender and older age, and anatomopathological factors such as tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, mitotic count, and growth pattern, with the highest costs occurring in vertical growth melanoma. Given the rising incidence of melanoma, the analysis of real-world direct costs for a population-based cohort of patients is essential for informing decision-makers on how to better allocate healthcare resources.