title: Willingness to pay for prostate cancer treatment among patients and their family members at 1 year after diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore an alternative approach to quantifying the burden of side effects at 1 year after treatment for prostate cancer among both patients and their partners.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 75 couples in the Family and Cancer Therapy Selection study. Paired patients and family members were independently asked about their willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical new treatment that cures prostate cancer without side effects if they could reconsider their treatment decision by indicating the maximum amount they would be willing to pay given 11 separate "bids" ranging from $0 to $1500 per month. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted for patients and family members controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and health status; Spearman correlations were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 75 couples analyzed, the income-adjusted mean WTP estimates per month were $400.8 (standard error [SE] $54.3) for patients and $650.2 (SE 72.2) for family members. The WTP between patients and family members was correlated (Pearson ρ 0.30; P = 0.01). After adjusting for covariates, the adjusted mean WTP per month was $588.1 (SE 65.77) for patients and $819.4 (SE 74.33) for family members. Wanting to avoid side effects at baseline predicted higher WTP for patients (P = 0.010). Experiencing sexual side effects was predictive of higher WTP for family members (P = 0.047).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fairly high WTP amounts for a hypothetical treatment without side effects suggests that patients and their partners are experiencing important burdens 1 year after treatment. The higher amounts partners are willing to pay and the correlation with sexual side effects suggest that they are perceptive of significant treatment burdens.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. Cli11@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Chunyu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Steven B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Zeliadt
authors.forename: Ingrid J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Judith Lee
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Donatus U
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Ekwueme
authors.forename: Carol M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Moinpour
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Penson
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ramsey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003625:Data Collection; D005190:Family; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors