Recommendations for Cost-Conscious Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) affects 3.3 million Americans annually. Treatment modalities for BCC include many surgical and nonsurgical options. The cost of BCC treatment can pose a substantial burden to patients and the healthcare system. Cost can be an important consideration in BCC treatment planning.

We present an approach to the management of BCC when cost reduction is a priority.

A PubMed literature search identified studies on effectiveness of current BCC therapies. Treatment prices were obtained from the Medicare National Fee Schedule, GoodRx, and pharmaceutical companies. The American Academy of Dermatology's (AAD) guidelines for treating BCC were used to develop recommendations for cost-reductive treatment.

The cost of treating a primary superficial BCC < 0.5 cm arising on Area M (cheeks, forehead, scalp, neck, jawline, pretibial surface) was $143 with curettage and electrodesiccation (C&E), $143 with cryosurgery, $210 with standard excision and simple reconstruction (SE), $1221 with Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) and simple reconstruction, $472 with imiquimod, $186 with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and $354-$371 for photodynamic therapy (PDT). The cost of treating a primary nodular BCC 1.1-2 cm arising on Area L (trunk and extremities, excluding pretibial surface, hands, feet, nail units and ankles) was $183 with C&E, $183 with cryosurgery, $251 with SE and simple reconstruction, $1163-1351 with MMS and simple reconstruction, $472 with imiquimod, $186 with 5-FU, and $354-$371 for photodynamic therapy (PDT). The cost of treating a giant BCC (BCC > 10 cm with aggressive behavior) was $465-3311 with radiation, $139,560 with vismodegib, $144,452 with sonidegib, ~ $44.5 with cisplatin (medication cost only), and at least $184,836 with cemiplimab-rwlc.

For a primary superficial BCC < 0.5 cm arising on Area M, the cost-conscious algorithm prioritizes C&E or cryosurgery. For a primary nodular BCC 1.1-2 cm arising on Area L, the cost-conscious algorithm prioritizes C&E, cryosurgery, or 5-FU. For a giant BCC, the cost-conscious algorithm identifies superficial radiation therapy as first line.