Evaluation of the Factors Affecting Higher Hospitalization Cost of Lung Resection for Primary Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the factors associated with the higher hospitalization cost of lung resection for primary lung cancer to contribute to the reduction of healthcare spending.

Methods: A total of 435 consecutive primary lung cancer patients who underwent lung resection by a single surgeon at a single institution were enrolled. Baseline patient characteristics, operative procedures, postoperative complications, and postoperative courses were analyzed in relation to the hospitalization cost. Patients with higher costs (exceeding the third quartile [TQ]) were compared with patients with lower costs (less than TQ).

Results: Median and TQ medical costs for overall cases were 11177 US dollars (USD) and 12292 USD, respectively. Smoking history, history of coronary artery disease, previous thoracotomy, multiple sealant material use, transfusion, tumor factor T3 or higher, squamous cell carcinoma, postoperative complications, and longer postoperative hospital stay (>10 POD) were significant risk factors for increased hospitalization cost in multivariate analysis. The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in the higher hospitalization cost group.

Conclusion: In addition to postoperative complications and prolonged hospitalization, patient background, histological types, and intraoperative factors were also considered as the risk factors for higher medical costs.