Trends in Treatment Costs for Localized Prostate Cancer

Risk of diabetes complications among those with diabetes receiving androgen deprivation therapy for localized prostate cancer

PURPOSE

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), used increasingly in the treatment of localized prostate cancer, is associated with substantial long-term adverse consequences, including incident diabetes. While previous studies have suggested that ADT negatively influences glycemic control in existing diabetes, its association with diabetes complications has not been investigated. In this study, we examined the association between ADT use and diabetes complications in prostate cancer patients.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted among men with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer between 1995 and 2008, enrolled in three integrated health care systems. Men had radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy (curative intent therapy), existing type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and were followed through December 2010 (n = 5,336). Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations between ADT use and diabetes complications (any complication), and individual complications (diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic amputation or diabetic cataract) after prostate cancer diagnosis.

RESULTS

ADT use was associated with an increased risk of any diabetes complication after prostate cancer diagnosis (adjusted hazard ratio, AHR, 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.23) as well as an increased risk of each individual complication compared to non-use.

CONCLUSION

ADT use in men with T2DM, who received curative intent therapy for prostate cancer, was associated with an increased risk of diabetes complications. These findings support those of previous studies, which showed that ADT worsened diabetes control. Additional, larger studies are required to confirm these findings and to potentially inform the development of a risk-benefit assessment for men with existing T2DM, before initiating ADT.

Treatment trends and Medicare reimbursements for localized prostate cancer in elderly patients

INTRODUCTION

The absolute and proportional numbers of elderly patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer (PCa) are on the rise. We examined treatment trends and reimbursement figures in localized PCa patients aged ≥80 years.

METHODS

Between 2000 and 2008, we identified 30 217 localized PCa patients aged ≥80 years in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare-linked database. Alternative treatment modalities consisted of conservative management (CM), radiation therapy (RT), radical prostatectomy (RP), and primary androgen-deprivation therapy (PADT). For all four modalities, utilization and reimbursements were examined.

RESULTS

PADT was the most frequently used treatment modality between 2000 and 2005. CM became the dominant treatment modality from 2006-2008. RP rates were marginal. RT ranked third, and its annual rate increased from 20.77% in 2000 to 29.13% in 2008. Median individual reimbursement of RT was highest and ranged from $29 343 in 2000 to $31 090 in 2008, followed by RP (from $20 560 in 2000 to $19 580 in 2008), PADT (from $18 901 in 2000 to $8000 in 2008), and CM (from $1824 in 2000 to $1938 in 2008). RT contributed to most of the cumulative annual reimbursements from 2003 (49.24%) to 2008 (72.97%). PADT ranked first from 2000 (54.56%) to 2002 (50.49%), but decreased by 19.40% in 2008. CM's contribution increased from 4.42% in 2000 to 6.96% in 2008. RP's share of reimbursements was stable during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results, focusing on localized PCa treatment in patients aged ≥80 years, showed an important increase in rates, median cost, and proportion of cumulative cost related to RT.

Choice of relative or cause-specific approach to cancer survival analysis impacts estimates differentially by cancer type, population, and application: evidence from a Canadian population-based cohort study

Background

Cause-specific (CS) and net survival in a relative survival framework (RS) are two of the most common methods for estimating cancer survival. In this paper, we assess the differences in results produced by two permutations of cause-specific and relative survival applied to estimating cancer survival and disparities in cancer survival, using data from First Nations and non-Aboriginal populations in Canada.

Methods

Subjects were members of the 1991 Canadian Census Mortality Cohort, a population-based cohort of adult respondents to the 1991 Long Form Census who have been followed up for incident cancers and death through linkage to administrative databases. We compared four methods: relative survival analyses with ethnicity-specific life tables (RS-ELT); relative survival with general population life tables (RS-GLT); cause-specific survival with a broad definition of cancer death (CS-Broad); and cause-specific survival with a narrow definition of cause of death (CS-Narrow) and applied these to the nine most common cancers among First Nations.

Results

Apart from breast and prostate cancers, RS-ELT, RS-GLT, and CS-Broad tended to produce similar estimates of age-standardized five-year survival, whereas CS-Narrow yielded higher estimates of survival. CS-Narrow estimates were particularly unlike those based on the other methods for cancers of the digestive and respiratory tracts. Estimates of disparities in survival were generally comparable across the four methods except for breast and prostate cancers.

Conclusions

Cancer surveillance efforts in sub-populations defined by race, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, or similar factors are necessary for identifying disparities and monitoring progress toward reducing them. In the absence of routine monitoring of cancer survival and cancer survival disparities in these populations, estimates generated by different methods will inevitably be compared over time and across populations. In this study, we demonstrate that caution should be exercised in making these comparisons, particularly in interpreting cause-specific survival rates with an unknown or narrow definition of cancer death and in estimates of breast and prostate cancer survival and/or disparities in survival generated by different methods.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12963-017-0142-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Prostate Cancer and Socioeconomic Status in the Finnish Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PC) screening remains controversial. We investigated whether screening reduces the difference in prostate cancer risk by socioeconomic status (SES). In 1996-2011, a total of 72,139 men from the Finnish Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer were analyzed. Outcome measures were PC incidence, mortality, and participation in screening. SES indicators were educational level, income, and home ownership status (data obtained from the Statistics Finland registry). The mean duration of follow-up was 12.7 years. Higher SES was associated with a higher incidence of low- to moderate-risk PC but with a lower risk of advanced PC. Higher education was associated with significantly lower PC mortality in both control and screening arms (risk ratio = 0.48-0.69; P < 0.05). Higher income was also associated with lower PC mortality but only in the control arm (risk ratio = 0.45-0.73; P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in SES gradient by arm (Pinteraction = 0.33 and Pinteraction = 0.47 for primary vs. secondary education and primary vs. tertiary education, respectively; Pinteraction = 0.65 and Pinteraction = 0.09 for low vs. intermediate income and low vs. high income, respectively; and Pinteraction = 0.27 among home ownership status strata). Substantial gradients by SES in PC incidence and mortality were observed in the control arm. Higher SES was associated with overdiagnosis of low-risk PC and, conversely, lower risk of incurable PC and lower PC mortality. Special attention should be directed toward recruiting men with low SES to participate in population-based cancer screening.

Phase-specific and lifetime costs of cancer care in Ontario, Canada

Background

Cancer is a major public health issue and represents a significant economic burden to health care systems worldwide. The objective of this analysis was to estimate phase-specific, 5-year and lifetime net costs for the 21 most prevalent cancer sites, and remaining tumour sites combined, in Ontario, Canada.

Methods

We selected all adult patients diagnosed with a primary cancer between 1997 and 2007, with valid ICD-O site and histology codes, and who survived 30 days or more after diagnosis, from the Ontario Cancer Registry (N = 394,092). Patients were linked to treatment data from Cancer Care Ontario and administrative health care databases at the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences. Net costs (i.e., cost difference between patients and matched non-cancer control subjects) were estimated by phase of care and sex, and used to estimate 5-year and lifetime costs.

Results

Mean net costs of care (2009 CAD) were highest in the initial (6 months post-diagnosis) and terminal (12 months pre-death) phases, and lowest in the (3 months) pre-diagnosis and continuing phases of care. Phase-specific net costs were generally lowest for melanoma and highest for brain cancer. Mean 5-year net costs varied from less than $25,000 for melanoma, thyroid and testicular cancers to more than $60,000 for multiple myeloma and leukemia. Lifetime costs ranged from less than $55,000 for lung and liver cancers to over $110,000 for leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphoma and breast cancer.

Conclusions

Costs of cancer care are substantial and vary by cancer site, phase of care and time horizon analyzed. These cost estimates are valuable to decision makers to understand the economic burden of cancer care and may be useful inputs to researchers undertaking cancer-related economic evaluations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2835-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Resource Use in the Last Year of Life Among Patients Who Died With Versus of Prostate Cancer

We conducted a retrospective analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data of men with prostate cancer. Among 34,727 patients, those who died of their prostate cancer had more hospice and outpatient use, less inpatient and intensive care unit use, and lower overall costs. Efforts to shift care toward the outpatient setting might provide more efficient and judicious care for patients during the end of life.

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer poses a significant financial burden in the United States. However, most men with prostate cancer will die from noncancer causes. Concerns about increased resource utilization at the end of life have not been appropriately examined in this context.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data of men who were diagnosed with and died of, as opposed to with, prostate cancer between 2000 and 2007. Within these 2 populations, we compared changes in the use of medical interventions, hospice, and overall health care costs to Medicare in the last year of life.

RESULTS

Among 34,727 patients, those who died of prostate cancer had lower costs ($43,572 vs. $45,830; P < .001), largely because of lower mean inpatient costs ($20,769 vs. $29,851) and fewer hospitalizations (1.8 vs. 2.1), inpatient days (12.2 vs. 15.7), intensive care unit (ICU) days (1.4 vs. 3.4), and skilled nursing facility days (11.7 vs. 14.7; P < .001 for all). Outpatient and hospice costs were significantly greater among patients who died of prostate cancer, as was use of chemotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy. Patients who died of prostate cancer had approximately 12% lower costs than patients who died from other causes in adjusted analyses (fold-change, 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-0.92). The single strongest predictor of increased costs at the end of life was receipt of multiple invasive procedures (fold increase in costs, 2.39; 95% CI, 2.22-2.58).

CONCLUSION

Patients who died of prostate cancer rather than from other causes had more hospice and outpatient use, less inpatient and ICU use, and lower overall costs. Efforts to shift care toward outpatient settings might provide more efficient and judicious care for patients during the end of life.

Overdetection of recurrence after radical prostatectomy: estimates based on patient and tumor characteristics

PURPOSE

Prostate-specific antigen recurrence (PSA-R) after radical prostatectomy (RP) can occur years before metastasis. This study estimates the chance that an untreated PSA-R would not progress to clinical metastasis within the patient's lifetime, that is, that recurrence is overdetected.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Times from PSA-R to metastasis were estimated from patients with RP treated at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) who did not receive salvage treatment (n = 441) at PSA-R. Times to other-cause death were based on U.S. life tables adjusted to reflect other-cause survival among RP cases in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry. We used competing risks simulation to estimate lower bounds on the chance that other-cause death would precede clinical metastasis for patients with disease characteristics at diagnosis based on the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE) database (n = 4,455).

RESULTS

Cumulative incidence of PSA-R in CaPSURE was 13.6% at 5 years and 19.9% at 10 years. The risk of other-cause death among patients with RP in SEER was 60% lower than the age-matched U.S. population. At least 9.1% of patients with PSA-R <5 years after RP and at least 15.6% of patients with PSA-R 5 to 10 years after RP were overdetected. At least 31.4% of patients over the age of 70 years at diagnosis, who recurred <10 years of diagnosis, were overdetected.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis indicates that PSA-R after RP may be overdetected, with risk depending on patient age and tumor characteristics. The potential for overdetection of recurrence confirms the need for approaches to determine whether and when to initiate salvage therapies.

A review of rectal toxicity following permanent low dose-rate prostate brachytherapy and the potential value of biodegradable rectal spacers

Permanent radioactive seed implantation provides highly effective treatment for prostate cancer that typically includes multidisciplinary collaboration between urologists and radiation oncologists. Low dose-rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy offers excellent tumor control rates and has equivalent rates of rectal toxicity when compared with external beam radiotherapy. Owing to its proximity to the anterior rectal wall, a small portion of the rectum is often exposed to high doses of ionizing radiation from this procedure. Although rare, some patients develop transfusion-dependent rectal bleeding, ulcers or fistulas. These complications occasionally require permanent colostomy and thus can significantly impact a patient's quality of life. Aside from proper technique, a promising strategy has emerged that can help avoid these complications. By injecting biodegradable materials behind Denonviller's fascia, brachytherpists can increase the distance between the rectum and the radioactive sources to significantly decrease the rectal dose. This review summarizes the progress in this area and its applicability for use in combination with permanent LDR brachytherapy.

Length of life gained with surgical treatment of prostate cancer: A population-based analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyse relative survival, excess mortality and gain in life expectancy in men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer (PCa) between 1995 and 2011 in Denmark.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study population comprised the complete cohort of 6489 men who underwent RP between 1995 and 2011. Risk of mortality was calculated using a competing risk model. Relative survival, excess mortality rate (EMR) and gain in life expectancy in men undergoing RP were calculated using a matched cohort Danish population based on date of birth and date of surgery.

RESULTS

During follow-up 328 patients died, 109 (33.2%) of PCa and 219 (66.8%) of other causes. The cumulative incidence of PCa mortality was 5.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.4, 7.2] after 10 years. Relative survival was significantly above 1.0 for RP patients, except for high-risk patients. EMR was -9.34 (95% CI -10.56, -8.13) after 10 years, i.e. nine men would die in excess of the general population. Overall, the gain in life expectancy in men undergoing RP compared with the general population was 0.41 years.

CONCLUSION

This population-based study demonstrated that the gain in life expectancy with RP compared with the general population in Denmark is minimal.

The Finnish prostate cancer screening trial: analyses on the screening failures

Prostate cancer (PC) screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been shown to decrease PC mortality in the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC). However, in the Finnish trial, which is the largest component of the ERSPC, no statistically significant mortality reduction was observed. We investigated which had the largest impact on PC deaths in the screening arm: non-participation, interval cancers or PSA threshold. The screening (SA) and control (CA) arms comprised altogether 80,144 men. Men in the SA were screened at four-year intervals and referred to biopsy if the PSA concentration was ≥ 4.0 ng/ml, or 3.0-3.99 ng/ml with a free/total PSA ratio ≤ 16%. The median follow-up was 15.0 years. A counterfactual exclusion method was applied to estimate the effect of three subgroups in the SA: the non-participants, the screen-negative men with PSA ≥ 3.0 ng/ml and a subsequent PC diagnosis, and the men with interval PCs. The absolute risk of PC death was 0.76% in the SA and 0.85% in the CA; the observed hazard ratio (HR) was 0.89 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76-1.04). After correcting for non-attendance, the HR was 0.78 (0.64-0.96); predicted effect for a hypothetical PSA threshold of 3.0 ng/ml the HR was 0.88 (0.74-1.04) and after eliminating the effect of interval cancers the HR was 0.88 (0.74-1.04). Non-participating men in the SA had a high risk of PC death and a large impact on PC mortality. A hypothetical lower PSA threshold and elimination of interval cancers would have had a less pronounced effect on the screening impact.

Prioritizing comparative effectiveness research for cancer diagnostics using a regional stakeholder approach

AIMS

This paper describes our process to engage regional stakeholders for prioritizing comparative effectiveness research (CER) in cancer diagnostics. We also describe a novel methodology for incorporating stakeholder data and input to inform the objectives of selected CER studies.

MATERIALS & METHODS

As an integrated component to establishing the infrastructure for community-based CER on diagnostic technologies, we have assembled a regional stakeholder group composed of local payers, clinicians and state healthcare representatives to not only identify and prioritize CER topics most important to the western Washington State region, but also to inform the study design of selected research areas. A landscape analysis process combining literature searches, expert consultations and stakeholder discussions was used to identify possible CER topics in cancer diagnostics. Stakeholders prioritized the top topics using a modified Delphi/group-nominal method and a standardized evaluation criteria framework to determine a final selected CER study area. Implementation of the selected study was immediate due to a unique American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding structure involving the same researchers and stakeholders in both the prioritization and execution phases of the project. Stakeholder engagement was enhanced after study selection via a rapid analysis of a subset of payers' internal claims, coordinated by the research team, to obtain summary data of imaging patterns of use. Results of this preliminary analysis, which we termed an 'internal analysis,' were used to determine with the stakeholders the most important and feasible study objectives.

RESULTS

Stakeholders identified PET and MRI in cancers including breast, lung, lymphoma and colorectal as top priorities. In an internal analysis of breast cancer imaging, summary data from three payers demonstrated utilization rates of advanced imaging increased between 2002 and 2009 in the study population, with a great deal of variability in use between different health plans. Assessing whether breast MRI affects treatment decisions was the top breast cancer study objective selected by the stakeholders. There were other high-priority research areas including whether MRI use improved survival that were not deemed feasible with the length of follow-up time following MRI adoption.

CONCLUSION

Continuous stakeholder engagement greatly enhanced their enthusiasm for the project. We believe CER implementation will be more successful when undertaken by regional stakeholders.

Effectiveness of primary androgen-deprivation therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer

PURPOSE

Primary androgen-deprivation therapy (PADT) is often used to treat clinically localized prostate cancer, but its effects on cause-specific and overall mortality have not been established. Given the widespread use of PADT and the potential risks of serious adverse effects, accurate mortality data are needed to inform treatment decisions.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using comprehensive utilization and cancer registry data from three integrated health plans. All men were newly diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer. Men who were diagnosed between 1995 and 2008, were not treated with curative intent therapy, and received follow-up through December 2010 were included in the study (n = 15,170). We examined all-cause and prostate cancer-specific mortality as our main outcomes. We used Cox proportional hazards models with and without propensity score analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, PADT was associated with neither a risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.04; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.11) nor prostate-cancer-specific mortality (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.19) after adjusting for all sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. PADT was associated with decreased risk of all-cause mortality but not prostate-cancer-specific mortality. PADT was associated with decreased risk of all-cause mortality only among the subgroup of men with a high risk of cancer progression (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.97).

CONCLUSION

We found no mortality benefit from PADT compared with no PADT for most men with clinically localized prostate cancer who did not receive curative intent therapy. Men with higher-risk disease may derive a small clinical benefit from PADT. Our study provides the best available contemporary evidence on the lack of survival benefit from PADT for most men with clinically localized prostate cancer.

A checklist for ascertaining study cohorts in oncology health services research using secondary data: report of the ISPOR oncology good outcomes research practices working group

OBJECTIVES

The ISPOR Oncology Special Interest Group formed a working group at the end of 2010 to develop standards for conducting oncology health services research using secondary data. The first mission of the group was to develop a checklist focused on issues specific to selection of a sample of oncology patients using a secondary data source.

METHODS

A systematic review of the published literature from 2006 to 2010 was conducted to characterize the use of secondary data sources in oncology and inform the leadership of the working group prior to the construction of the checklist. A draft checklist was subsequently presented to the ISPOR membership in 2011 with subsequent feedback from the larger Oncology Special Interest Group also incorporated into the final checklist.

RESULTS

The checklist includes six elements: identification of the cancer to be studied, selection of an appropriate data source, evaluation of the applicability of published algorithms, development of custom algorithms (if needed), validation of the custom algorithm, and reporting and discussions of the ascertainment criteria. The checklist was intended to be applicable to various types of secondary data sources, including cancer registries, claims databases, electronic medical records, and others.

CONCLUSIONS

This checklist makes two important contributions to oncology health services research. First, it can assist decision makers and reviewers in evaluating the quality of studies using secondary data. Second, it highlights methodological issues to be considered when researchers are constructing a study cohort from a secondary data source.

Comparative hospital cost-analysis of open and robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy

OBJECTIVE

To perform a contemporary comparative cost-analysis of robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) and open radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP).

METHODS

All patients undergoing RARP (n = 115) or RRP (n = 358) by 1 of 4 surgeons at a single institution during a 15-month period were retrospectively reviewed. The hospital length of stay (LOS), operative time, hospital charges, reimbursement, and direct and indirect hospital costs were analyzed and compared.

RESULTS

The mean LOS between patients undergoing RARP (1.2 ± 0.6 days) and RRP (1.4 ± 0.8 days) was not significantly different. The operating room supply costs per case were almost 7 times greater for RARP ($2852 ± $528) than for RRP ($417 ± $59; P < .05). The ancillary, cardiology, imaging, administrative, laboratory, and pharmacy costs were not significantly different between the 2 approaches. The mean total costs per case for RARP exceeded the total costs for RRP by 62% ($14 006 ± $1641 vs $8686 ± $1989; P < .05). Payment to the hospital from all sources was nearly equivalent: $10 011 for RRP and $9993 for RARP. Therefore, the average profit for each RRP was $1325 and each RARP lost $4013.

CONCLUSION

In the present single-institution analysis, the total actual costs associated with RARP were significantly greater than those for RRP and were attributable to the robotic equipment and supplies.

Comparative effectiveness, cost, and utilization of radical prostatectomy among young men within managed care insurance plans

BACKGROUND

Costs and benefits of emerging prostate cancer treatments for young men (age < 65 years) in the United States are not well understood. We compared utilization, clinical outcomes, and costs between two types of radical prostatectomy (RP)--minimally invasive prostatectomy (MIRP) and retropubic prostatectomy (RRP)--among young patients.

METHODS

We extracted from LifeLink Health Plan Claims Database, a commercial claims database, information on 10,669 patients receiving either MIRP or RRP between 2003 and 2007. In unadjusted analyses, we used chi-square tests to compare clinical outcomes and nonparametric bootstrapping method to compare costs between the MIRP and RRP groups. We applied logistic, Cox proportional hazard, and extended estimation equation methods to examine the association between surgical modality and perioperative complications, anastomotic stricture, and costs while controlling for age, comorbidity, and health plan characteristics.

RESULTS

The percentage of prostatectomies performed as MIRP increased from 5.7% in 2003 to 50.3% in 2007. Patients with more comorbidity were more likely to undergo RRP than MIRP. Compared with the RRP group, the MIRP group had a significantly lower rate of perioperative complications (23.0% vs. 30.4%; P < 0.001) and a lesser tendency for anastomotic strictures (hazard ratio 0.42; 95% CI 0.35-0.50) within the first postoperative year but had higher hospitalization costs ($19,998 vs. $18,424; P < 0.001) despite shorter hospitalizations (1.7 days vs. 3.1 days; P < 0.001). Similar findings were reported in the subgroup analysis of patients with comorbidity score 0.

CONCLUSION

MIRP among nonelderly patients increased substantially over time. MIRP was found to have fewer complications. Lower costs of complications appeared to have offset higher hospitalization costs of MIRP.

Lifetime economic burden of prostate cancer

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer affecting men in the United States. The initial treatment and subsequent monitoring of PCa patients places a large burden on U.S. health care systems. The objectives of this study were to estimate the total and disease-related per-patient lifetime costs using a phase-based model of cancer care for PCa patients enrolled in Medicare.

Methods

A model was developed to estimate life-time costs for patients diagnosed with PCa. Patients ≥ 65 years old and diagnosed with PCa between calendar years 1991-2002 were selected from the SEER database. Using SEER, we estimated survival times for PCa patients from diagnosis until death. The period of time patients contributed to treatment phases was determined using an algorithm designed to model the natural history of PCa. Costs were obtained from the US SEER-Medicare database and estimated during specific phases of care. Cost estimates were then combined with survival data to yield total and PCa-related life-time costs.

Results

Overall, the model estimated life-time costs of $110,520 (95% CI 110,324-110,739) per patient. PCa-related costs made up approximately 31% of total costs ($34,432).

Conclusions

Prostate cancer places a significant burden on U.S. health-care systems with average life-time PCa-related costs in excess of $30,000.

Cost implications of the rapid adoption of newer technologies for treating prostate cancer

PURPOSE

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and laparoscopic or robotic minimally invasive radical prostatectomy (MIRP) are costlier alternatives to three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) and open radical prostatectomy for treating prostate cancer. We assessed temporal trends in their utilization and their impact on national health care spending.

METHODS

Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked data, we determined treatment patterns for 45,636 men age ≥ 65 years who received definitive surgery or radiation for localized prostate cancer diagnosed from 2002 to 2005. Costs attributable to prostate cancer care were the difference in Medicare payments in the year after versus the year before diagnosis.

RESULTS

Patients received surgery (26%), external RT (38%), or brachytherapy with or without RT (36%). Among surgical patients, MIRP utilization increased substantially (1.5% among 2002 diagnoses v 28.7% among 2005 diagnoses, P < .001). For RT, IMRT utilization increased substantially (28.7% v 81.7%; P < .001) and for men receiving brachytherapy, supplemental IMRT increased significantly (8.5% v 31.1%; P < .001). The mean incremental cost of IMRT versus 3D-CRT was $10,986 (in 2008 dollars); of brachytherapy plus IMRT versus brachytherapy plus 3D-CRT was $10,789; of MIRP versus open RP was $293. Extrapolating these figures to the total US population results in excess spending of $282 million for IMRT, $59 million for brachytherapy plus IMRT, and $4 million for MIRP, compared to less costly alternatives for men diagnosed in 2005.

CONCLUSION

Costlier prostate cancer therapies were rapidly and widely adopted, resulting in additional national spending of more than $350 million among men diagnosed in 2005 and suggesting the need for comparative effectiveness research to weigh their costs against their benefits.

Patients with localised prostate cancer (t1 - t2) show improved overall long-term survival compared to the normal population

BACKGROUND

Little information is available on the long-term outcomes of patients with localised prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the long-term survival of patients with localised prostate gland carcinoma T1 - T2, N0, M0 (UICC stage I and II) compared to the normal population.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort.

SETTING

Regensburg, Germany.

PARTICIPANTS

Data on 2121 patients with histologically-confirmed, localised prostate cancer diagnosed between 1998 and 2007 were extracted from the cancer registry of the tumour centre in Regensburg, Germany.

MEASUREMENTS

Overall survival rate in the patient cohort was estimated and compared to the expected survival rate of a comparable group in the general population derived from the official life-tables of Germany stratified by age, sex and calendar year.

RESULTS

Ten years after diagnosis, patients with stage I and II localised prostate gland carcinoma had an approximately 10% increase in survival compared to the normal male population (Relative Survival = 110.7%, 95%-CI 106.6 - 114.8%).

LIMITATIONS

We did not examine the effect of cancer treatment or cancer aggressiveness on the overall survival of patients. We did not assess the incidence of subsequent non-primary cancers in our patient population or how this incidence affects the patients' follow-up care and survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with stage I+II localised prostate gland carcinoma have improved survival compared with the normal male population. This finding cannot be explained solely by the administration of prostate carcinoma treatments, suggesting that men who participate in PSA screening may have better overall health behaviors and care than men who do not participate in screening. Future research should examine how treatment choice, especially an "active surveillance" approach to care, affects survival in these patients more than ten years after diagnosis.

How does initial treatment choice affect short-term and long-term costs for clinically localized prostate cancer?

BACKGROUND

Data regarding costs of prostate cancer treatment are scarce. This study investigates how initial treatment choice affects short-term and long-term costs.

METHODS

This retrospective, longitudinal cohort study followed prostate-cancer cases diagnosed in 2000 for 5 years using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. Men age≥66 years, in Medicare fee for service, diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer in 2000 while residing in a SEER region, were matched to noncancer controls using age, sex, race, region, comorbidity, and survival. On the basis of treatment received during the first 9 months postdiagnosis, patients were assigned to watchful waiting, radiation, hormonal therapy, hormonal+radiation, and surgery (may have received other treatments). Incremental costs for prostate cancer were the difference in costs for prostate cancer cases versus matched controls. Costs were divided into initial treatment (months -1 to 12), long-term (each 12 months thereafter), and total (months -1 to 60). Sensitivity analyses excluded the last 12 months of life.

RESULTS

A total of 13,769 prostate-cancer cases were matched to 13,769 noncancer controls. Watchful waiting had the lowest initial treatment ($4270) and 5-year total costs ($9130). Initial treatment costs were highest for hormonal+radiation ($17,474) and surgery ($15,197). At $26,896, 5-year total costs were highest for hormonal therapy only followed by hormonal+radiation ($25,097) and surgery ($19,214). After excluding the last 12 months of life, total costs were highest for hormonal+radiation ($23,488) and hormonal therapy ($23,199).

CONCLUSIONS

Patterns of costs vary widely based on initial treatment. These data can inform patients and clinicians considering treatment options and policy makers interested in patterns of costs.

Racial and ethnic variation in health resource use and cost for prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the racial and ethnic variation in health resource use (HRU) and direct medical care (DMC) cost in elderly men with prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective case-control study using the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare database. Patients with prostate cancer diagnosed between 1995 and 1998 (50 147 men) were identified and followed retrospectively for 1 year before and 5 years after the diagnosis. Phase-specific HRU and DMC costs were compared between racial and ethnic groups using parametric and nonparametric analysis. To compute the incremental cost of prostate cancer, a matched non-cancer control group was extracted from Medicare database. Poisson and general linear models (log-link) were used to identify the association of race and ethnicity with HRU and DMC cost, after controlling for potentially influential clinical and demographic covariates.

RESULTS

The African-American group was more likely to have emergency-room visits (odds ratio 1.19, 95% confidence interval 1.12-1.28) and less likely to have outpatient visits (0.96, 0.96-0.97) than whites. However, the Hispanic group was more likely to have inpatient and outpatient visits (odds ratio 0.88, 0.83-0.91; and 0.93, 0.91-0.95) than whites. Adjusted DMC cost showed racial and ethnic variation in all phases except the treatment and terminal phases. Factors associated with DMC cost varied among racial and ethnic groups.

CONCLUSION

The incremental burden of prostate cancer remains significant in the long term. Overall, the cost of prostate cancer care was higher among African-American men than white and Hispanic men. This indicates the need for further research on care-level factors to comprehend the racial and ethnic disparity in HRU and cost.

Risk of dying from prostate cancer in men randomized to screening: differences between attendees and nonattendees

BACKGROUND

Although the true benefits and disadvantages of prostate cancer screening are still not known, the analysis of fatal cases is important for increasing knowledge of the effects of prostate cancer screening on mortality. Who dies from prostate cancer despite participation in a population-based prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening program?

METHODS

From the Goteborg branch of the European Randomized study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, 10,000 men randomly assigned to active PSA-screening every second year formed the basis of the present study. Prostate cancer mortality was attributed to whether the men were attendees in the screening program (attending at least once) or nonattendees.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine men died from prostate cancer during the first 13 years. Both overall (34% vs 13 %; P<.0001) and cancer-specific mortality (0.8% vs 0.3 %; P<.005) were found to be significantly higher among nonattendees compared with attendees. Furthermore, the majority of deaths (12 of 18) among screening attendees were in men diagnosed at first screening (prevalent cases). Only 6 deaths (including 3 interval cases) were noted among men complying with the biennial screening program.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonattendees in prostate cancer screening constitute a high-risk group for both death from prostate cancer and death from other causes comparable to that described in other cancer screening programs.

Clinical and pathological characteristics of screen-detected versus clinically diagnosed prostate cancer in Nanjing, China

Previous studies have suggested that implementation of PSA screening in China is of crucial importance. This study compared clinical and pathological characteristics of screen-detected and clinically diagnosed prostate cancers and evaluated the effectiveness of PSA screening for early detection of prostate cancer in Nanjing. Between July 2004 and December 2005, 8,562 men aged ≥ 50 years were included for PSA screening. Participants with serum PSA ≥ 4.0 ng/ml were recommended for transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided prostate needle biopsy (TRNB). During the same period, 82 consecutive clinically diagnosed prostate cancers were included as controls. The clinical and pathological features of the screened versus clinically diagnosed cancers were evaluated. A total of 719 (8.4%) of screened men had PSA levels ≥ 4.0 ng/ml. Biopsy was performed in 295 men, and 58 prostate cancers were detected. The biopsy rate, positive predictive value (PPV), and detection rate were 41.0, 19.7, and 0.68%, respectively. More screened patients were found with PSA levels <20 ng/ml (55.2 vs. 22.4%, P < 0.001), Gleason scores <7 (60.3 vs. 34.1%, P = 0.002), organ-confined tumors (87.9 vs. 26.8%, P < 0.001), and opportunities for radical prostatectomy (50.0 vs. 18.3%, P < 0.001) than that in clinically diagnosed patients. PSA screening is effective for early detection of prostate cancer in Chinese elderly men. Favorable PSA levels, Gleason scores, clinical stages, and chances for radical prostatectomy are associated with PSA screening. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of screening on treatment outcomes and mortality of prostate cancer in Chinese.

Quality of life three years after diagnosis of localised prostate cancer: population based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the risk and severity of negative effects of treatment for localised prostate cancer on long term quality of life.

DESIGN

Population based, prospective cohort study with follow-up over three years.

SETTING

New South Wales, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Men with localised prostate cancer were eligible if aged less than 70 years, diagnosed between October 2000 and October 2002, and notified to the New South Wales central cancer registry. Controls were randomly selected from the New South Wales electoral roll and matched to cases by age and postcode.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

General health specific and disease specific function up to three years after diagnosis, according to the 12 item short form health survey and the University of California, Los Angeles prostate cancer index.

RESULTS

1642 (64%) cases and 495 (63%) eligible and contacted controls took part in the study. After adjustment for confounders, all active treatment groups had low odds of having better sexual function than controls, in particular men on androgen deprivation therapy (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.02, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.07). Men treated surgically reported the worst urinary function (adjusted OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.22). Bowel function was poorest in cases who had external beam radiotherapy (adjusted OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.64). General physical and mental health scores were similar across treatment groups, but poorest in men who had androgen deprivation therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The various treatments for localised prostate cancer each have persistent effects on quality of life. Sexual dysfunction three years after diagnosis was common in all treatment groups, whereas poor urinary function was less common. Bowel function was most compromised in those who had external beam radiotherapy. Men with prostate cancer and the clinicians who treat them should be aware of the effects of treatment on quality of life, and weigh them up against the patient's age and the risk of progression of prostate cancer if untreated to make informed decisions about treatment.

Cost comparison of robotic, laparoscopic, and open radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Demand and utilization of minimally invasive approaches to radical prostatectomy have increased in recent years, but comparative studies on cost are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To compare costs associated with robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP), laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP), and open retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

The study included 643 consecutive patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (262 RALP, 220 LRP, and 161 RRP) between September 2003 and April 2008.

MEASUREMENTS

Direct and component costs were compared. Costs were adjusted for changes over the time of the study.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Disease characteristics (body mass index, preoperative prostate-specific antigen, prostate size, and Gleason sum score 8-10) were similar in the three groups. Nerve sparing was performed in 85% of RALP procedures, 96% of LRP procedures, and 90% of RRP procedures (p<0.001). Lymphadenectomy was more commonly performed in RRP (100%) compared to LRP (22%) and RALP (11%) (p<0.001). Mean length of hospital stay was higher for RRP than for LRP and RALP. The median direct cost was higher for RALP compared to LRP or RRP (RALP: $6752 [interquartile range (IQR): $6283-7369]; LRP: $5687 [IQR: $4941-5905]; RRP: $4437 [IQR: $3989-5141]; p<0.001). The main difference was in surgical supply cost (RALP: $2015; LRP: $725; RRP: $185) and operating room (OR) cost (RALP: $2798; LRP: $2453; RRP: $1611; p<0.001). When considering purchase and maintenance costs for the robot, the financial burden would increase by $2698 per patient, given an average of 126 cases per year.

CONCLUSIONS

RALP is associated with higher cost, predominantly due to increased surgical supply and OR costs. These costs may have a significant impact on overall cost of prostate cancer care.

The effect of the approach to radical prostatectomy on the profitability of hospitals and surgeons

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the profit margins for radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP), laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP), and the effect on the reimbursement to the urologist, as there has been a dramatic increase in use of RALP, with the cost of the robot borne by hospitals.

METHODS

Data on costs and payments to hospital and surgeon from 2003 to 2008 for RRP, LRP and RALP were obtained from the hospital and urology department. We determined the profit based on the difference between payments received and total cost.

RESULTS

Between 2000 and 2008, 1279 RPs were performed at our private hospital. The introduction of RALP increased total number of RPs and replaced most RRPs. RRP represents the only procedure where payments exceed total costs. For RRP there was a significantly higher profit for patients with comorbidities. The type of payer had a large effect on profit. Medicare provides a small profit for RRP but a significant loss of >US$4000 for RALP. While all insurance companies resulted in losses for LRP and RALP, there was variability of almost $600/case for LRP and >$1400/case for RALP. RALP provided the highest reimbursement for the surgeon due to additional reimbursement for the S2900 code (use of robot).

CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of RALP has increased the case volume at our hospital and improved profits for the surgeon. The hospital loses money on each LRP and RALP case compared with RRP, which provides a small profit.