Skin Cancer Cases In Outdoor Workers Takes An Economic Toll

Source: Earth, May 2018

Researchers have estimated the hidden costs and economic toll of skin cancer caused by workplace sun exposure. The study, which was based on newly diagnosed non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) in Canada in 2011, revealed an economic burden totaling $34.6 million Canadian dollars.
The researchers used official government records and health surveys to calculate the costs of individual cases of NMSCs. These numbers represented the lifelong expense of the illness including out-of-pocket costs, the amount of time missed at work, and healthcare costs.
The team analyzed individual cases of the most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. Each case of basal cell cancer was found to cost $5,760, while squamous cell carcinoma was found to cost $10,555 per case.