Methodological considerations in cost of prostate cancer studies: a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
Cost-of-illness (COI) studies estimate the overall economic burden of a specific disease, rather than simply treatment-related costs. While having been criticized for not allowing resource prioritization, COI studies can provide useful guidance, so long as they adhere to accepted methodology. Prostate cancer is an important disease in terms of economic implications because of its increasing incidence and health-care costs and therefore provides a relevant example with which to review COI study methodologies. The aim of this study was to review published COI studies on prostate cancer to analyze the methods used.


METHODS
First, we provide a general description of the COI method. COI studies relating to prostate cancer were then systematically reviewed, focussing on an analysis of the different methods used.


RESULTS
The methods, data sources, and estimated cost categories in each study varied widely. The review showed that COI studies adopted significantly different approaches to estimate the costs of prostate cancer, reflecting a lack of consensus on the methodology of COI studies in this area.


CONCLUSIONS
To increase its credibility, closer agreement among researchers on the methodological principles of the COI studies would be desirable.
Molinier
Laurent
L
INSERM, Toulouse, France. molinier.l@chu-toulouse.fr
Bauvin
Eric
E
Combescure
Christophe
C
Castelli
Christel
C
Rebillard
Xavier
X
Soulié
Michel
M
Daurès
Jean-Pierre
JP
Grosclaude
Pascale
P
D035843:Biomedical Research; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018803:Models, Economic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity