The cost of treating skeletal-related events in patients with prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the economic burden of skeletal-related events (SREs) and to assess the frequency of different types of SREs in this population.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective claims analysis.

METHODS

Data were obtained from i3's Lab Rx Database from May 1, 2000, through March 31, 2005. Patients included had at least 2 claims with a diagnosis of prostate cancer, at least 2 subsequent claims with a diagnosis of bone metastasis, and at least 1 SRE on or after the date of the initial diagnosis of bone metastasis. Descriptive statistics for 342 patients who fit all inclusion and exclusion criteria are provided, along with Kaplan-Meier curves, which were used to estimate annual costs, adjusting for the censoring of the data.

RESULTS

Patients most frequently had radiation therapy (89%), followed by pathologic fracture (23%) and bone surgery (12%). Among patients diagnosed as having at least 1 SRE, 78% experienced 1 type of SRE, 17% had 2 types of SREs, and 5% had 3 or more distinct types of SREs. The mean costs associated with SREs in the year after the initial diagnosis of an SRE, adjusted for the censoring of the data, was $12,469, with the highest costs associated with radiation therapy ($5930), followed by pathologic fracture ($3179) and bone surgery ($2218).

CONCLUSION

This study of patients with prostate cancer and bone metastases revealed that the annual economic effect of medically treating SREs for these patients was $12,469.