OBJECTIVES: Cervical cancer (CC), caused by oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) types, is in Croatia the tenth most common cancer in women and accounted for 106 women deaths in 2012. The aim of this study was to evaluate the costs associated with the diagnostics and treatment of cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in Croatia in 2012. METHODS: Publicly available data on the costs related to CC and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) diagnostic and treatment were collected. The main sources for the number of cases were the Croatian Institute of Public Health Yearbook for 2012 and Croatian Cancer Registry data. For the unit cost, the list of Diagnosis-Related Groups codes was used. When country-specific information was unavailable, reference to international data was used. Total cost was calculated by multiplying the number of cases with unit cost. Only direct medical costs were taken into consideration, using governmental perspective. RESULTS: In 2012, CC and CIN amounted to a total cost of EUR 5,419,216.10. Papanicolaou (Pap) smear tests represent the major source of expenditure with a total cost of EUR 2,368,573.42.  A total of 374,484 Pap smear tests were carried on in 2012, from which 7.3% were pathological. CONCLUSIONS:

CC and CIN caused by oncogenic types of HPV are the cause of important health and economic burden in Croatia. Treatment cost for CC represents 10% of total CC prevention in Croatia. With more than 100 death cases every year and high incidence rate in young women, CC remains a public health issue in Croatia.