Advanced melanoma costs the health system up to 12 times more than melanoma diagnosed in its early stages 

A new paper from the Daffodil Centre, a partnership between Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney, has found that when people are diagnosed with more advanced melanoma it places a substantially greater burden on the health system than when people are diagnosed at earlier stages.   

Across Australia, it is estimated that 17,443 people were diagnosed with melanoma in 2025, that is around 48 people every day. 

Published in PLOS One, the study analysed healthcare costs and treatment patterns for 8,577 people diagnosed with melanoma in NSW between 2006 and 2019, comparing them to costs for people without melanoma. This makes this study one of the largest Australian studies to examine melanoma costs by stage of disease. 

Researchers found that average healthcare costs in the first year following diagnosis ranged from around $2,800 for early-stage melanoma to more than $70,000 for melanoma that had spread, demonstrating the substantial financial impact of later-stage disease.  

Lead author and PhD candidate David Goldsbury, Statistician at the Daffodil Centre said the findings reinforce the value of melanoma prevention and early detection, “Australia has the highest melanoma incidence in the world, and while advances in treatment are improving outcomes for many people with advanced disease, they are also increasing healthcare expenditure.  

“We found that costs rise dramatically as melanoma progresses. Diagnosing and treating melanoma before it spreads not only improves health outcomes for patients but can also reduce pressure on the healthcare system.”  

Mr Goldsbury says that researchers also observed increasing use of immunotherapy and targeted therapies among people with advanced melanoma following the introduction of government-subsidised treatments. Those receiving these treatments had healthcare costs approximately $60,000 higher per year than people with similarly advanced disease who did not receive them.  

Liz King, Manager of the Skin Cancer Prevention Unit at Cancer Council NSW, said the findings reinforce the importance of prevention and early detection, “this research highlights that  skin cancer prevention is a smart long-term investment government can make. Every melanoma that is prevented or found early significantly reduces the impact on individuals, families and the healthcare system”.  

Ms King says that prevention is our best defence against skin cancer, but it’s also important to know your skin, “if you notice any new or changing spots, see your doctor, early detection gives people the best chance of successful treatment.”  

These findings are an important reminder that sustained investment in skin cancer prevention and early detection can help reduce the future burden of melanoma on both Australians and the health system. The results will also help inform the current development of a Roadmap for a National Targeted Melanoma Screening Program.  

“Preventing melanoma altogether, or detecting it at an earlier stage, saves lives and can save tens of thousands of dollars in treatment costs,” Ms King concluded. 

Media contact: Claudia Bernardi
Email: [email protected]