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Association between Types of Chronic Conditions and Cancer Stage at Diagnosis among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries with Prostate Cancer.

ABSTRACT: The current retrospective observational study was conducted to examine the association between types of chronic conditions and cancer stage at diagnosis among elderly Medicare beneficiaries with prostate cancer using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. The study cohort consisted of elderly men (≥66 years) with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2002 and 2009 (N = 103,820). Cancer stage at diagnosis (localized versus advanced) was derived using the American Joint Committee on Cancer classification. Chronic conditions were identified during the year before cancer diagnosis and classified as: (1) only cardiometabolic (CM); (2) only mental health (MH); (3) only respiratory (RESP); (4) CM + MH; (5) CM + RESP; (6) MH + RESP; (7) CM+ MH + RESP; and (8) none of the 3 types of conditions. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regressions were used to test the unadjusted and adjusted associations between types of chronic conditions and cancer stage at diagnosis. The highest percentage (5.8%) of advanced prostate cancer was observed among elderly men with none of the 3 types of chronic conditions (CM, RESP, MH). In the adjusted logistic regression, those with none of the 3 types of chronic conditions were 44% more likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer compared to men with all the 3 types of chronic conditions. Elderly men without any of the selected chronic conditions were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer; therefore, strategies to reduce the risk of advanced prostate cancer should be targeted toward elderly men without these conditions.

SUBMITTER: Raval AD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5296923 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ImportanceLocalized prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment among elderly men who are not likely to benefit represents a potential source of low-value health care services.ObjectiveTo quantify the costs to the Medicare program associated with detection and treatment of prostate cancer among elderly men in the United States.Design, setting, and participantsThis nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study uses the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database to identify men 70 years or older diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2004 and 2007 and to ascertain Medicare costs associated with diagnosis and workup, treatment, follow-up, and morbidity management of the disease. National Medicare costs were estimated using per-person costs, stage-adjusted prostate cancer incidence rates by age from SEER 2007 through 2011, and 2010 Census population estimates by age.Main outcomes and measuresEstimated costs to the Medicare program overall, and in each (mutually exclusive) category related to diagnosis and workup, treatment, follow-up, and morbidity management.ResultsThis nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study included 49 692 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer from the SEER-Medicare database (all participants were 70 years or older; 25 981 [52.3%] were 76 years or older). The median per-patient cost within 3 years after prostate cancer diagnosis was $14 453 (interquartile range [IQR], $4887-$27 899). The majority of this cost was attributable to treatment costs (median, $10 558; IQR, $1990-$23 718). Patients with a Gleason score of 6 or lower who pursued initial conservative management (no treatment within 12 months of diagnosis) had a 3-year median total cost of $1914 per patient. The estimated total 3-year cost to the Medicare program associated with the annual detection of prostate cancer in men 70 years or older is approximately $1.2 billion. Increasing active surveillance use in those with Gleason score of 6 or lower could reduce this cost by $320 million.Conclusions and relevanceThere is substantial cost to the Medicare program associated with the diagnosis and treatment of localized prostate cancer among elderly men in the United States, despite the fact that these men are unlikely to die of prostate cancer. The majority of costs are related to treatment. Reducing provision of low-value health care services among this patient population could result in significant health care savings.

Project description:BackgroundHeatwaves kill more people than floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes combined and disproportionally affect older persons and those with chronic conditions. Commonly used medications for chronic conditions, e.g., diuretics, antipsychotics disrupt thermoregulation or fluid/electrolyte balance and may sensitive patients to heat. However, the effect of heat-sensitizing medications and their interactions with heatwaves are not well-quantified. We evaluated effects of potentially heat-sensitizing medications in vulnerable older patients.MethodsUS Medicare data were linked at the zip code level to climate data with surface air temperatures for June-August of 2007-2012. Patients were Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with chronic conditions including diabetes, dementia, and cardiovascular, lung, or kidney disease. Exposures were potentially heat-sensitizing medications including diuretics, anticholinergics, antipsychotics, beta blockers, stimulants, and anti-hypertensives. A heatwave was defined as ≥2 days above the 95th percentile of historical zip code-specific surface air temperatures. We estimated associations of heat-sensitizing medications and heatwaves with heat-related hospitalization using self-controlled case series analysis.ResultsWe identified 9,721 patients with at least one chronic condition and heat-related hospitalization; 42.1% of these patients experienced a heatwave. Heatwaves were associated with an increase in heat-related hospitalizations ranging from 21% (95% CI: 7% to 38%) to 33% (95% CI: 14% to 55%) across medication classes. Several drug classes were associated with moderately elevated risk of heat-related hospitalization in the absence of heatwaves, with rate ratios ranging from 1.16 (95% CI: 1.00 to 1.35) to 1.37 (95% CI: 1.14 to 1.66). We did not observe meaningful synergistic interactions between heatwaves and medications.ConclusionsOlder patients with chronic conditions may be at heightened risk for heat-related hospitalization due to the use of heat-sensitizing medications throughout the summer months, even in the absence of heatwaves. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and also to understand the effect of milder and shorter heat exposure.

Project description:BackgroundApproximately 28% of adults have ≥3 chronic conditions (CCs), accounting for two-thirds of U.S. healthcare costs, and often having suboptimal outcomes. Despite Institute of Medicine recommendations in 2001 to integrate guidelines for multiple CCs, progress is minimal. The vast number of unique combinations of CCs may limit progress.Methods and findingsTo determine whether major CCs segregate differentially in limited groups, electronic health record and Medicare paid claims data were examined in one accountable care organization with 44,645 Medicare beneficiaries continuously enrolled throughout 2015. CCs predicting clinical outcomes were obtained from diagnostic codes. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering defined 13 groups having similar within group patterns of CCs and named for the most common CC. Two groups, congestive heart failure (CHF) and kidney disease (CKD), included 23% of beneficiaries with a very high CC burden (10.5 and 8.1 CCs/beneficiary, respectively). Five groups with 54% of beneficiaries had a high CC burden ranging from 7.1 to 5.9 (descending order: neurological, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular, chronic pulmonary). Six groups with 23% of beneficiaries had an intermediate-low CC burden ranging from 4.7 to 0.4 (behavioral health, obesity, osteoarthritis, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, 'other'). Hypertension and hyperlipidemia were common across groups, whereas 80% of CHF segregated to the CHF group, 85% of CKD to CKD and CHF groups, 82% of cancer to Cancer, CHF, and CKD groups, and 85% of neurological disorders to Neuro, CHF, and CKD groups. Behavioral health diagnoses were common only in groups with a high CC burden. The number of CCs/beneficiary explained 36% of the variance (R2 = 0.36) in claims paid/beneficiary.ConclusionsIdentifying a limited number of groups with high burdens of CCs that disproportionately drive costs may help inform a practical number of integrated guidelines and resources required for comprehensive management. Cluster informed guideline integration may improve care quality and outcomes, while reducing costs.

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Association between Types of Chronic Conditions and Cancer Stage at Diagnosis among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries with Prostate Cancer.

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