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Skin cancer healthcare impact: A nation-wide assessment of an administrative database

BACKGROUND

Skin cancer is an important health concern, with an increasing incidence worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the clinical and economic burden of melanoma (MM) and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) at public hospitals in mainland Portugal.

METHODS

We used an administrative database containing a registration of all hospitalizations and ambulatory episodes occurred in Portuguese public hospitals between 2011 and 2015. We assessed all episodes with associated diagnoses of MM or NMSC regarding neoplasm location, metastases occurrence, length of stay, in-hospital mortality and hospital costs.

RESULTS

We assessed 15,913 MM and 72,602 NMSC episodes. 14.3% of MM episodes presented with metastases, compared to 1.9% of NMSC episodes. Patients' median age was lower for MM (66 years) than NMSC (76 years). The trunk was the most common location for MM (32.5%), followed by the lower limbs (26.5%). NMSC presented with higher length of stay than MM (median 5 versus 4 days; p < 0.001), but with lower in-hospital mortality (7.3% versus 11.9%; p < 0.001). MM episodes had higher average hospital costs than NMSC episodes (1197.7 versus 1113.5 €; p < 0.001). Overall, NMSC episodes amounted a total of 80.8 million € in hospital costs versus 19.1 million € for MM episodes.

CONCLUSION

Skin neoplasms have substantial impact on healthcare services. NMSC is an important contributor to this burden. NMSC underreporting should be tackled and it should not be downplayed in skin cancer preventative strategies.