prostate-report.org

Continued costs of prostate cancer treatment are not sustainable

Two recent studies have examined the increasing economic burden of prostate cancer — in the USA and in selected European nations. The picture is not a pretty one.

The American study conducted a retrospective analysis of medical and pharmacy claims between 2000 and 2005 by identifying 9,035 male patients. The average (mean) age of the patients was 61.4 years, and patients aged 50-59 years represented 51 percent of the total.

The majority of patients received some form of active treatment. Watchful waiting (WW) was the primary means of management for 30 percent of patients, but surgery was the most common treatment especially among younger men. Regarding the average of costs over a 2-year period, study reveals $24,809 cost for WW over a 2-year period and $59,286 cost for active treatment

The European study evaluated the costs of initial treatment of prostate cancer in Germany, Italy, UK, France and Spain during the first year of therapy, including diagnostic costs, and all surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy costs as appropriate.

Both studies, independently, reach the same conclusion, which is that the high and increasing prevalence of prostate cancer is placing a significant economic burden on society. As such continued costs are not sustainable, researchers suggest the need to implement better management strategies and more cost-efficient processes to lower the international burden of prostate cancer management.