Background: The goal of this study was to estimate direct costs induced by the first year of treatment of cervix cancers according to the stage at diagnosis.
Methods: Fifteen patients of the Gynaecology Department of the Besançon hospital (Doubs, France) were involved in a prospective study to estimate the real cost of treatment of carcinomas in situ (CIS) by conization and of microinvasive carcinomas (MIC) by simple hysterectomy. Costs of invasive cancers were obtained from a retrospective analysis of 24 hospital records in the Radiotherapy Department.
Results: The average real cost of treatment for the CIS was 5023 FF (1995 French Francs). Real treatment cost of the MIC was 15,867 FF. The average cost of treatment for the IB and IIA cancers stage (FIGO classification) was 61,540 FF and 145,314 FF for the IIB to IV stage cancers.
Conclusions: Cost-estimation of cervix cancer treatment according to the stage of diagnosis has to be done before starting a cost-effectiveness analysis of mass screening for cervix cancers. This study will allow us to take into account changes in the stages distribution following on a screening campaign.