Author/Authors :
Davari، Majid نويسنده Health Management and Economics Research Center , , Maracy، Mohammad Reza نويسنده , , Emami، Mohamad H نويسنده Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan , , Taheri، Diana نويسنده , , Aslani، Abolfazl نويسنده Department of Pharmaceutics and Novel Drug Delivery Systems Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan , , Givi، Mahshid نويسنده Department of Internal Surgery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan , , Massah، Saeid نويسنده 4Department of Pharmaceutics and Novel Drug Delivery Systems Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan ,
Abstract :
Background: The Immense cost of cancer treatment is one of the
main challenges of health care systems all over the world including
Iran. The aim of this study was to analyze the direct treatment
costs of colorectal cancer patients in Isfahan, Iran.
Methods: In this cross sectional study, the medical records of
colorectal cancer (CRC) patients admitted to the Seyyed?al?Shohada
Hospital “SSH” from 2005-2010 were reviewed. The profiles
of 452 patients were examined. However based on inclusion,
exclusion criteria a total number of 432 profiles were analyzed.
All records including age, sex, treatment processes and treatment
costs were extracted from the patients’ profiles and analyzed using
Kruskal?Wallis test.
Findings: The results showed that 56.1% of CRC patients were
male. The mean age of patients suffering from CRC was 56 ± 13.4.
More than Thirty?six percent of the patients were in stages 1?3 of
CRC and more than half of them (64.4%) were in the 4th stage.
The higher the stage of the cancer the higher the percentage of
treatments used. 5-Fluorouracil and Leucovorin (5FU/LV) was
the most common used chemical treatment protocol. The mean
treatment cost for stage one was 10715 (±4927), for stage two
15920 (±3440), stage three 16452 (±2828) and for stage four was
16723 (±2555) US Dollars. The cost of drug treatment was the
first cost driven between the medical services.
Conclusion: CRC in Iranian population starts in younger age than
people in western countries. This imposed considerable direct and
indirect economic cost to the society. The direct medical cost of
colorectal cancer in Iran is very higher than 38 million $. Screening
programs could reduce the economic cost of CRC significantly.
