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Racial Differences in the Cost of Treating Men with Early‐Stage Prostate Cancer
Author(s) -
Brandeis Judson,
Pashos Chris L.,
Henning James M.,
Litwin Mark S.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1046/j.1532-5415.2001.4930297.x
Subject(s) - medicine , prostate cancer , prostatectomy , stage (stratigraphy) , veterans affairs , retrospective cohort study , cancer , demography , sociology , paleontology , biology
OBJECTIVE: To compare the cost and resource utilization in the evaluation, treatment, and 6‐month follow‐up of African‐American and White men undergoing either external beam radiation therapy (XRT) or radical prostatectomy (RP) for early‐stage prostate cancer. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of cost and resource utilization data from encrypted patient‐specific hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, and physician/supplier data files. SETTING: National Medicare claims data from 1993 through 1996. PARTICIPANTS: A random 5% national sample of Medicare beneficiaries from the Health Care Financing Administration Public Use Files for 1993 through 1996. MEASUREMENTS: Inpatient, outpatient, and physician/supplier Medicare costs. RESULTS: African‐American men undergoing RP for early‐stage prostate cancer had significantly higher costs ($21,878 vs $18,786, P < .0001) than did White men. Most of the difference occurred in the inpatient setting. African‐American men undergoing XRT had significantly greater costs ($18,131 vs $15,734, p < .0001) than did White men. Most of this difference was generated by longer duration of XRT treatments. CONCLUSIONS: In early‐stage prostate cancer, charges for RP and XRT in African‐American men are higher when compared with those for White men.