# Long-term costs associated with healthcare use of people with cancer in Scotland

## TL;DR

This study analyzed long-term healthcare costs for cancer patients in Scotland, finding significant variation by cancer type and the benefits of early detection through screening.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the long-term healthcare costs of cancer in Scotland and their association with survival rates.

## Key findings

- Mean cumulative per-patient costs for all cancers were £29,460 at 2017/18 price levels.
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma had the highest costs (£47,672), while malignant melanoma had the lowest (£19,217).
- Screening was significantly associated with both lower costs and better survival.

## Abstract

Evidence for the long-term costs of cancer is limited, particularly in the Scottish population. Our aim was to better understand the long-term healthcare use and associated costs of cancer in Scotland, and their relationship with cancer survival.

This was a retrospective study using routine healthcare data to measure inpatient, outpatient, community prescription use and their costs from a national health service perspective. Per-episode incidence costs were assigned using reference costs and charted over eight years during the period 2009 to 2018 by year and phase of care. Risk factors for survival and costs were analysed using Cox regression and generalised linear model regression.

In total, 55,807 adults with cancer were followed over eight years after their diagnosis. Trajectories indicated a complex relationship with survival. Mean cumulative per-patient costs for all cancers were £29,460 at 2017/18 price levels (95% CI £29,199 to £29,720). Considerable variation was observed between cancer types with the highest costs in non-Hodgkin lymphoma at £47,672 (95%CI £45,500 to £49,843) and the lowest in malignant melanoma of skin at £19,217, (95%CI £18,251 to £20,184). Variables negatively associated with costs tended to be positively associated with hazard of death. Only screening was significantly associated with both lower costs (adjusted cost ratio 0.85, p < 0.001) and lower hazard of death (adjusted hazard ratio 0.30, p < 0.001).

Substantial costs were observed in all cancer types studied, with the highest costs measured in the year following diagnosis. Screening was associated with both lower costs and better survival, supporting the focus on early detection.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10198-025-01800-8.