Researchers analyzed the costs of two different treatments for lentigo maligna, a type of skin condition. They compared topical imiquimod cream with radiotherapy in 126 patients from Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil. The study focused only on economic factors, not on which treatment worked better clinically.
From the healthcare system's perspective, imiquimod cost about $72 per patient while radiotherapy cost over $2,600. When including patient costs like travel time and lost productivity, imiquimod cost about $700 compared to nearly $4,400 for radiotherapy. Patients using imiquimod also needed far fewer treatment visits—about 6 versus 27 for radiotherapy.
There are important reasons to be careful with these results. The underlying clinical trial that provided the patient data was described as underpowered, meaning it might not have had enough participants to draw strong conclusions. The cost analysis used only Australian healthcare data, so costs would likely differ in other countries. The study also didn't account for how costs might affect retired patients.
Readers should understand this study shows imiquimod appears to be much less expensive than radiotherapy for treating lentigo maligna, but we need more research to be certain. The study doesn't tell us which treatment works better clinically—just that when they work similarly, one costs much less. Patients should discuss both treatment options and their costs with their doctors.