Direct Medical Expenses of Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgery in Ahvaz Teaching Hospitals

Cancers are showing a rising trend in developing countries. In Iran, cancer is the third leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases and accidents. The cost of cancer diagnosis and treatment places heavy financial burden on health systems, requiring accurate financial assessments and evaluations. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the direct medical expenses of cancer patients undergoing surgery in Ahvaz, Iran, teaching hospitals.

This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021. The research population included cancer patients undergoing surgery in Ahvaz teaching hospitals. Data collection was done using clinical records of the hospital. Quantitative statistical indicators such as frequency, mean, standard deviation, and tables were used for data analysis. In addition, analytical statistical indicators such as independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation coefficient, and regression were used with SPSS22 software.

The overall mean costs for cancer surgery were calculated at 77,994,903 (SD= 111,224,332) Iranian Rials (IRR). The most expensive cancer surgery was colorectal cancer with an average of 193,558,434 (SD= 266,162,757) IRR, and the lowest cost was pancreatic cancer surgery with an average of 29,284,226 (SD= 23,057,425) IRR. There was a significant positive relationship between the type of cancer (p= 0.000) and the length of hospital stay (p= 0.041) and the cost of hospitalized patients.

The economic costs of treating all types of cancer are very high. Any therapeutic and administrative measure that can reduce the cost of cancer treatment or the duration of treatment will contribute significantly to reducing patients' sufferings, improving their quality of life, and reducing the imposed costs.