Premium
Cost for treatment and follow‐up of thyroid cancer increases according to the severity of disease
Author(s) -
Kim Soo Young,
Kim SeokMo,
Chang Hojin,
Kim BupWoo,
Lee Yong Sang,
Kwon SoonSun,
Shin Hyunjung,
Chang HangSeok,
Park Cheong Soo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.25706
Subject(s) - medicine , neck dissection , thyroid cancer , surgery , thyroidectomy , thyroid , dissection (medical) , stage (stratigraphy) , disease , cancer , general surgery , paleontology , biology
Background The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of thyroid cancer‐related health care costs over a 5‐year period, according to the extent of thyroid surgery. Methods The study included 33 patients from our institutional database who underwent thyroid cancer surgery in 2010. Patients were divided into four groups based on surgical extent: (1) hemithyroidectomy, (2) total thyroidectomy, (3) total thyroidectomy with ipsilateral radical neck dissection, and (4) total thyroidectomy with bilateral radical neck dissection and mediastinal dissection. Costs for admission and outpatient follow‐up for 5 years were analyzed. Results Costs for outpatient follow‐up and admission, and overall cost increased with increasing stage of disease and increasing extent of thyroid surgery. Patients who underwent only hemithyroidectomy had the lowest costs for outpatient follow‐up and admission, as well as the lowest overall cost. Conclusion Over the 5‐year follow‐up period, surgery performed at an early disease stage was the most cost‐effective.