Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29275307›Full record

ArticleIn vivo (Athens, Greece)

Challenges in the Analysis of Outcomes for Surgical Compared to Radiotherapy Treatment of Prostate Cancer.

Scott M Glaser, Ronny Kalash, Dante R Bongiorni, Mark S Roberts, Goundappa K Balasubramani, Bruce L Jacobs, Sushil Beriwal, Dwight E Heron, Joel S Greenberger

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in In vivo (Athens, Greece). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Scott M GlaserDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Ronny KalashDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Dante R BongiorniDepartment of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Mark S RobertsDepartment of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Goundappa K BalasubramaniDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Bruce L JacobsDepartment of Urology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Sushil BeriwalDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Dwight E HeronDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Joel S GreenbergerDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A. greenbergerjs@upmc.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

aimProstate cancer can be treated with radical prostatectomy (RP), external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT), or brachytherapy (BT). These modalities have similar cancer-related outcomes. We used an innovative method to analyze the cost of such treatment. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe queried our Institution's Insurance Division [University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Health Plan] beneficiaries from 2003-2008, who were diagnosed with prostate cancer and also queried the UPMC tumor registry for all patients with prostate cancer treated at our Institution. In a de-identified manner, data from the Health Plan and Tumor Registry were merged.

resultsA total of 354 patients with non-metastatic disease with treatment initiated within 9 months of diagnosis were included (RP=236, EBRT=55, and BT=63). Radiotherapy-treated patients tended to be older, higher-risk, and have more comorbidities. Unadjusted median total health care expenditures during the first year after diagnosis were: RP: $16,743, EBRT: $47,256, and BT: $23,237 (p<0.0005). A propensity score-matched model comparing RP and EBRT demonstrated median total health care expenditures during year one: RP: $8,189, EBRT: $10,081; p=0.48. In a propensity-matched model comparing RP and BT, the median total health care expenditures during year one were: RP: $18,143, BT: $26,531; p=0.015 and per year during years 2 through 5 from diagnosis were: RP: $5,913, BT: $6,110; p=0.68.

conclusionThis pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of combining healthcare costs from the payer's perspective with clinical data from a Tumor Registry within an IDFS and represents a novel approach to investigating the economic impact of cancer treatment.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overBrachytherapyCost-Benefit AnalysisFeasibility StudiesHumansInsurance BenefitsMaleMiddle AgedOutcome Assessment, Health CarePilot ProjectsProstatectomyProstatic NeoplasmsRadiotherapyRegistriesbrachytherapycost effectivenessintegrated delivery and finance systemProstate cancerprostatectomyradiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID29275307
PMCPMC5892645

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.