The average annual cost of treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancers was $788 per adult in 2005-2008, according to a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The average for nonmelanoma skin cancers, the most common type of cancer diagnosed in the United States, was lower than the annual costs of other common cancers.
The average number of adults treated for nonmelanoma skin cancers (mainly basal cell and squamous cell) was 3.72 million per year from 2005 to 2008. That compares with 1.46 million per year for breast cancer, 1.2 million for prostate cancer, 570,000 for colon cancer, and 450,000 for lung cancer, according to data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.
Nonmelanoma skin cancers accounted for about $2.9 billion of the $75.7 billion in average annual spending for cancer care among adults in 2005-2008, the report noted.
Note: Based on data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2005-2008.
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality