Kamis, 04 Agustus 2011

Advanced Lung cancer: Cost and Cost effectiveness of treatment




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In contrast to breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers, particularly little progress has been produced in early diagnosis and lengthy-term remission in lung cancer.  Furthermore, as the most prevalent cancer among men and ladies in the United States, lung cancer accounts for roughly 20 percent of all cancer care costs (Desch et al., 1996). The focus of clinical trials has been to prolong survival and enhance the quantity of one- and two-year survivors.  Recently, attention has turned to economic evaluations that compare the price and benefits of such remedies.  In their assessment of the on the market economic information, Goodwin and Shepherd (1998) conclude that the expenses of mixture chemotherapy or combined-modality therapy for locally advanced or metastatic lung cancer are well within the range regarded as acceptable for interventions utilized for other diseases.


Smith (Thomas J. Smith, private communication, 2000) proposed asking about the patient's evaluation of the merits of treatment in this disease in a very novel and illuminating way.  Working with a big regional insurer, Smith generated actuarial estimates of the expenditures from diagnosis of inoperable lung cancer via to death. He proposed to give the patient a selection, after giving the patient a solid understanding of the issues at stake.  The patient could pick to have conventional care, with treatments that would most likely extend life (for 3 to 4 months, on typical), or the patient could decide on to have hospice care obtainable from the commence and also take all of the funds (about $19,000) that would likely have been spent on his or her radiation and chemotherapy.  The experiment was terminated after six months, largely due to the fact couple of patients remained outside of managed care plans by the time all of the preliminary arrangements were in place (and the experiment required that patients be in conventional fee for service).  Nonetheless, the mental model is really illuminating.  Would many people who had to pay their own bills stay willing to get remedies with small expected gains? Some are quite offended by Dr. Smith's experiment, claiming that it is offensive to look at life in monetary terms.  This objection, if widespread, will be complicated to accommodate in policy.


In 1992, the charges for hospitalization in the last year of life for lung cancer patients dying in a hospital in Connecticut averaged $40,000, even though those who died at dwelling or in hospice had hospital charges of about $30,000 (Polednak and Shevchenko, 1998).  Smith suggests that a fairer comparison would be typical total well being care expenses, rather than limiting it to hospital charges.

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