OBJECTIVES : Cervical cancer represents a significant burden for the individual and the society. The aim of our study was to determine the annual health insurance treatment cost of cervical cancer in Hungary.

METHODS : Data were derived from the financial database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA), for the year 2018. Data analysed included annual health insurance costs, patient numbers and cost distribution calculated for age groups and sex. The following cost categories were included into the study: general practice care, home care, in- and outpatient care, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and medical aids. Patients with cervical cancer were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: C53.

RESULTS : In 2018, the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration spent 1.238 billion Hungarian Forints (HUF) on the treatment of patients with endometriosis, which equals to 4.58 million American Dollars (USD), or 3.88 million Euros (EUR). We found he highest patient numbers in outpatient care: 5,208 patients, resulting in a prevalence of 53.3 patients/100,000 female population. Acute inpatient care (60.0% of total health insurance costs), CT imaging examinations (18.2%) and reimbursement of pharmaceuticals (6.9%) were the main cost drivers, while all other forms of medical care amounted to 14.9%. Annual health care treatment cost per patient was 237,675 HUF (879 USD/745 EUR)for women.

CONCLUSIONS : Acute inpatient care was the major cost driver in the treatment of cervical cancer primarily, due to the surgical interventions often required for its treatment. CT imaging examinations play important role in the diagnosis of disease and in the monitoring of treatment. The treatment of patients aged 45-74 accounted for 70.0% of costs.