Medical treatment cost for Chinese inpatients with colorectal cancer by sites

The increasing prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is a challenge for China's healthcare system. Using hospitalization data from Ningbo, China, this study aims to estimate the medical treatment cost and cost structure of CRC based on tumor sites to gain insights with respect to the cost efficiency of early diagnosis.

A retrospective observational study was performed in a real-life clinical setting of a tertiary hospital in Ningbo, China. Sociodemographic, clinicopathologic, and CRC medical treatment cost data were extracted from the inpatients' medical records. The study comprised inpatients aged above 18 diagnosed with CRC and received surgical treatment between 2020 and 2022. CRC costs were separated into six cost categories and analyzed separately by tumor site (rectum and colon). All cost data were measured by 2020 Chinese Yuan.

A total of 538 inpatients were included, where 63.9% were male, 67.5% were diagnosed with rectal cancer, and 47.2% were at Stages III and IV. Medical treatment costs of rectal cancer increased significantly from Stage I to Stage IV in all cost categories (p < 0.001), with percentage increases ranging from 70% to 120%, depending on cost category. Medication, materials, and examinations were the major sources of CRC costs for both rectal and colon cancers, with each accounting for 20%-30% of total costs, depending on tumor site and cancer stage.

Targeted programs for the management and treatment of various tumor sites should be considered, as rectal cancer costs are more stage-sensitive than colon cancer. The large proportion of costs attributed to medication, materials, and examinations provides guidance to the government in regulating the healthcare market to alleviate the economic burden of CRC.