Costs of Breast Cancer Recurrences
Author Information
Author(s): S.F. Hurley, R.M. Huggins, R.D. Snyder, J.F. Bishop
Primary Institution: Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria
Hypothesis
What are the health service costs associated with treating women with recurrences of breast cancer?
Conclusion
The study estimated that the costs of managing breast cancer recurrences are significant and vary based on the site of recurrence and whether the episode is fatal.
Supporting Evidence
- Hospital visits and investigations comprised 78% of total costs for all episodes combined.
- Visceral and CNS episodes were associated with higher costs than other groups.
- The median cost per recurrence was $11,349.
Takeaway
This study looked at how much it costs to treat women who have breast cancer that comes back, and found that it can be very expensive.
Methodology
The study abstracted health service and consumable usage data from the medical histories of 128 patients and used regression models to estimate costs.
Potential Biases
There may be risks of bias due to incomplete medical records and assumptions made in cost estimation.
Limitations
The study was limited to hospital-based health service costs and did not account for home care or other potential costs.
Participant Demographics
The mean age of participants was 52.9 years, with a median duration from initial diagnosis to recurrence of 27.5 months.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 51.1, 54.8
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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