[Estimation of hospital costs of colorectal cancer in Catalonia (Spain)]

Abstract

Objective: To assess the hospital cost associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment by stage at diagnosis, type of cost and disease phase in a public hospital.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of the hospital costs associated with a cohort of 699 patients diagnosed with CRC and treated for this disease between 2000 and 2006 in a teaching hospital and who had a 5-year follow-up from the time of diagnosis. Data were collected from clinical-administrative databases. Mean costs per patient were analysed by stage at diagnosis, cost type and disease phase.

Results: The mean cost per patient ranged from 6,573 Euros for patients with a diagnosis of CRC in situ to 36,894 € in those diagnosed in stage III. The main cost components were surgery-inpatient care (59.2%) and chemotherapy (19.4%). Advanced disease stages were associated with a decrease in the relative weight of surgical and inpatient care costs and an increase in chemotherapy costs.

Conclusions: This study provides the costs of CRC treatment based on clinical practice, with chemotherapy and surgery accounting for the major cost components. This cost analysis is a baseline study that will provide a useful source of information for future studies on cost-effectiveness and on the budget impact of different therapeutic innovations in Spain.

Keywords: Colorectal neoplasms; Costes de hospital; Costes de la atención en salud; Estudios retrospectivos; Health care costs; Health resources; Hospital costs; Neoplasias colorrectales; Recursos en salud; Retrospective studies.