The cost of unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma in Italy

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, melanoma incidence has been increasing in European countries; in 2006, there were approximately 60,000 cases leading to 13,000 deaths. Within Europe there is some geographical variation in the incidence of melanoma, with the highest rates reported in Scandinavia (15 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year) and the lowest in the Mediterranean countries (5 to 7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year). METHODS: The present article is based on the information collected in the MELODY study (MELanoma treatment patterns and Outcomes among patients with unresectable stage III or stage IV Disease: a retrospective longitudinal survey). In that study, the medical charts of patients were reviewed to document current treatment patterns and to analyse information on patients, disease characteristics and healthcare resource utilization related to the treatment of advanced melanoma regarding patients who presented with a diagnosis of malignant melanoma (stage I to IV) at participating sites between 01 July, 2005 and 30 June, 2006. RESULTS: Summarizing, though the length of the follow-up period varies among sample patients, an amount of the yearly cost per patient can be estimated, dividing the average per patient total cost (€ 5.040) by the average follow-up duration (17.5 months) and reporting to one year; on these grounds, unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma in Italy would cost € 3,456 per patient per year.