Long-term medical-care costs related to prostate cancer: estimates from linked SEER-Medicare data.
Limited data are available concerning long-term prostate cancer (PCa)-related medical costs for use in assessing PCa prevention strategies. The aim of this study was to examine treatment, long-term survival, and long-term PCa-related costs by cancer stage. Costs in phases of care based on the natural history of PCa were also examined. Our data illustrate that initial care is characteristic of a rapid rate of cost accrual. This rate then decreases during continuing care. For terminal care, only stage IV resumes a rate of cost accrual similar to initial care. With average PCa-related costs of $18,168 observed over an average follow-up of 4 years, prevention strategies may result in a reduction in medical costs.
Stokes
M E
ME
United BioSource Corporation, Dorval, Quebec, Canada. michael.stokes@unitedbiosource.com
Black
L
L
Benedict
A
A
Roehrborn
C G
CG
Albertsen
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D018426:SEER Program / Q000191:economics; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States