title: Methodological considerations in cost of prostate cancer studies: a systematic review.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, Toulouse, France. molinier.l@chu-toulouse.fr
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Molinier
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bauvin
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Combescure
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Rebillard
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soulié
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Daurès
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grosclaude
mesh_terms: 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