Assessing the public's preference for surgical treatment of primary basal cell carcinoma: a discrete-choice experiment in the south of the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a slowly growing nonmelanoma type of skin cancer that often is located on the face. Different therapies are available to treat BCC, of which surgical excision (SE) and Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) are the most frequently used surgical procedures.

OBJECTIVES

To examine which attributes of a surgical treatment the general public values as important and to determine the incremental willingness to pay for MMS versus SE.

METHODS

A discrete-choice experiment (DCE) was conducted among members of the general public to examine which attributes of a surgical treatment for primary BCC are valued as important. In addition, based on the attributes included in the experiment, the willingness to pay for MMS versus SE was determined.

RESULTS

Respondents (N=312) preferred a treatment with a lower recurrence rate, shorter surgery time, shorter travelling time, shorter waiting time, no risk for re-excision, and lower cost. The incremental willingness to pay for MMS was 847 euro ($1,203).

CONCLUSIONS

Results from this DCE indicate that, when outcome and process attributes are considered from a societal perspective, MMS is preferred over SE for primary BCC. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.