Cost analysis of adjuvant management strategies in early-stage testicular seminoma.

Abstract

320 Background: Acceptable post-orchiectomy management strategies for stage I seminoma include surveillance (SV), para-aortic (PA-RT) radiation therapy, dog-leg (DL-RT) or a single cycle of carboplatin (Carbo). The follow-up recommendations for each option were recently amended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) in 2012. As such, surveillance imaging after treatment, a contributor to costs, was significantly scaled back. This was driven, in part, by the maturation of data from the MRC TE 19/EORTC 30982 study along with an effort to decrease exposure to frequent CT scans. Methods: NCCN guidelines were used to design treatment plans for each of the acceptable adjuvant treatments strategies: SV, Carbo (AUC=7), PA-RT (20 Gy), DL-RT (20 Gy) and salvage chemotherapy (bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin x 3 cycles). NCCN guidelines for growth factor support and anti-emetic use were incorporated into the treatments. Follow-up charges, including weighted costs for salvage for each modality, were generated for 10 years based on both the 2012 and the 2011 NCCN guidelines. According to published literature, the anticipated failure rate for SV, either DL-RT or PA-RT, or Carbo was 18%, 4%, and 5% respectively. 2012 Medicare reimbursement rates (both facility and professional charges) were used to determine the actual reimbursement for each treatment course over a 10-year period. Results: Under the current 2012 NCCN recommendations, the total Medicare reimbursement for SV, PA- RT, DL-RT, and Carbo, when factoring in the cost of salvage, were $10,643, $11,678, $9,662, and $7,870 respectively. This is compared to the reimbursement under the 2011 NCCN guidelines for SV, PA- RT, DL-RT, and Carbo of $20,986, $11,517, $9,394, and $20,365. Conclusions: Reduced imaging during SV or after adjuvant therapy has significantly narrowed the difference in reimbursement between adjuvant management options. This is driven primarily by the integration of results from the MRCTE19/EORTC 30982 outcomes and patterns of failures. We are currently in the process of using Treeage models to fine-tune treatment costs and patient variables to better assess cost-effectiveness between adjuvant treatment modalities.