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Regional Medicare Expenditures and Survival Among Older Women With Localized Breast Cancer.

ABSTRACT: Despite evidence on large variation in breast cancer expenditures across geographic regions, there is little understanding about the association between expenditures and patient outcomes.To examine whether Medicare beneficiaries with nonmetastatic breast cancer living in regions with higher cancer-related expenditures had better survival.A retrospective cohort study of women with localized breast cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database. Hospital referral regions (HRR) were categorized into quintiles based on risk-standardized per patient Medicare expenditures on initial phase of breast cancer care. Hierarchical generalized linear models were estimated to examine the association between patients' HRR quintile and survival.In total, 12,610 Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with stage II-III breast cancer during 2005-2008 who underwent surgery.Outcome measures for our analysis were 3- and 5-year overall survival.Risk-standardized per patient Medicare expenditures on initial phase of breast cancer care ranged from $13,338 to $26,831 across the HRRs. Unadjusted 3- and 5-year survival varied from 66.7% to 92.2% and 50.0% to 84.0%, respectively, across the HRRs, but there was no significant association between HRR quintile and survival in bivariate analysis (P=0.08 and 0.28, respectively). After adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, quintiles of regional cancer expenditures remained unassociated with patients' 3-year (P=0.35) and 5-year survival (P=0.20). Further analysis adjusting for treatment factors (surgery type and receipt of radiation and systemic therapy) and stratifying by cancer stage showed similar results.For Medicare beneficiaries with nonmetastatic breast cancer, residence in regions with higher breast cancer-related expenditures was not associated with better survival. More attention to value in breast cancer care is warranted.

SUBMITTER: Tannenbaum S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5863278 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Regional Medicare Expenditures and Survival Among Older Women With Localized Breast Cancer.

Tannenbaum Sara S Soulos Pamela R PR Herrin Jeph J Mougalian Sarah S Long Jessica B JB Wang Rong R Ma Xiaomei X Gross Cary P CP Xu Xiao X

Medical care 20171201 12

<h4>Background</h4>Despite evidence on large variation in breast cancer expenditures across geographic regions, there is little understanding about the association between expenditures and patient outcomes.<h4>Objectives</h4>To examine whether Medicare beneficiaries with nonmetastatic breast cancer living in regions with higher cancer-related expenditures had better survival.<h4>Research design</h4>A retrospective cohort study of women with localized breast cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemio ...[more]

PMID: 29068906

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Project description:BackgroundYoung breast cancer (YBC) patients demonstrate a heightened propensity for regional lymph node metastasis (RLNM) in contrast to cohorts across varying age demographics. The aim of our study was to identify clinicopathologic prognostic variables in YBC patients with RLNM and construct a practical and reliable nomogram for the prediction of overall survival (OS) using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.MethodsYoung individuals (≤40 years) with a diagnosis of breast cancer with RLNM were recognized from the SEER database between 2010 and 2015, and further randomly split into two cohorts: the training set (n=4,497) and the validation set (n=1,927). We first performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to confirm independent survival predictors of OS. A novel prognostic nomogram was developed and evaluated using Harrell's concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). To make a clear distinction between high- and low-risk patients in terms of patient survival, Kaplan-Meier survival curves were assessed using the log-rank test.ResultsNine risk factors were found as independent prognostic variables in predicting OS, including race, grade, histology, surgery, radiation, molecular subtype, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage 7th edition, T stage, and N stage. The C-index values of our nomogram were 0.786 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.767-0.805] and 0.791 (95% CI: 0.760-0.822) in our training and validation groups, respectively. The ROC curves demonstrated sufficient discriminating ability, while the predicted and real survival rates were fairly consistent, as shown by the calibration plots. The prediction model had a higher net benefit and acceptable clinical value, as shown by the DCA curves.ConclusionsIn YBC patients with RLNM, we successfully established a unique nomogram to forecast the 2-, 3-, and 5-year OS. Clinicians may utilize this nomogram to pinpoint patients at higher risk and provide them with appropriate customized therapies.

Project description:ImportanceIn a period of dynamic change in health care technology, delivery, and behaviors, tracking trends in health and health care can provide a perspective on what is being achieved.ObjectiveTo comprehensively describe national trends in mortality, hospitalizations, and expenditures in the Medicare fee-for-service population between 1999 and 2013.Design, setting, and participantsSerial cross-sectional analysis of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older between 1999 and 2013 using Medicare denominator and inpatient files.Main outcomes and measuresFor all Medicare beneficiaries, trends in all-cause mortality; for fee-for-service beneficiaries, trends in all-cause hospitalization and hospitalization-associated outcomes and expenditures. Geographic variation, stratified by key demographic groups, and changes in the intensity of care for fee-for-service beneficiaries in the last 1, 3, and 6 months of life were also assessed.ResultsThe sample consisted of 68,374,904 unique Medicare beneficiaries (fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage). All-cause mortality for all Medicare beneficiaries declined from 5.30% in 1999 to 4.45% in 2013 (difference, 0.85 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.83-0.87). Among fee-for-service beneficiaries (n = 60,056,069), the total number of hospitalizations per 100,000 person-years decreased from 35,274 to 26,930 (difference, 8344; 95% CI, 8315-8374). Mean inflation-adjusted inpatient expenditures per Medicare fee-for-service beneficiary declined from $3290 to $2801 (difference, $489; 95% CI, $487-$490). Among fee-for-service beneficiaries in the last 6 months of life, the number of hospitalizations decreased from 131.1 to 102.9 per 100 deaths (difference, 28.2; 95% CI, 27.9-28.4). The percentage of beneficiaries with 1 or more hospitalizations decreased from 70.5 to 56.8 per 100 deaths (difference, 13.7; 95% CI, 13.5-13.8), while the inflation-adjusted inpatient expenditure per death increased from $15,312 in 1999 to $17,423 in 2009 and then decreased to $13,388 in 2013. Findings were consistent across geographic and demographic groups.Conclusions and relevanceAmong Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older, all-cause mortality rates, hospitalization rates, and expenditures per beneficiary decreased from 1999 to 2013. In the last 6 months of life, total hospitalizations and inpatient expenditures decreased in recent years.

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Regional Medicare Expenditures and Survival Among Older Women With Localized Breast Cancer.

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Regional Medicare Expenditures and Survival Among Older Women With Localized Breast Cancer.

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