Nationwide epidemiology and healthcare utilization of spine tumor patients in the adult Korean population, 2009-2012.

Abstract

The aim of this nationwide study was to describe the incidence and health care utilization of adult Korean patients with primary malignant, primary nonmalignant, and metastatic spine tumors between 2009 and 2012. Patients with primary and metastatic spine tumors were identified from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2012. Demographics, incidence rate, annual medical cost, and annual hospital stay of each new patient were reviewed. Of 1600 primary spine tumors diagnosed from 2009 to 2012, 373 (23.3%) were malignant, and 1227 (76.7%) were nonmalignant. The most common tumor type was neoplasm of spinal cord among primary malignant (C72.0, 51.5%) and primary nonmalignant (D33.4, 66.2%) spine tumors. Differences in primary malignant, primary nonmalignant, and metastatic spine tumor incidence by sex were significant (P = .004, <.001, and <.001, respectively). The annual incidence rate of primary nonmalignant and metastatic spine tumors increased significantly over the study period (P = .005 and <.001, respectively). Lung, liver/biliary, and breast were the most prevalent original tumor sites for metastatic spine tumors. In 2011, average annual medical costs associated with treatment of primary malignant, primary nonmalignant, and metastatic tumors were US $15 223, $6502, and $16 038, respectively. Average annual hospital stay durations for primary malignant, primary nonmalignant, and metastatic spine tumors in 2011 were 103.4, 61.7, and 79.6 days, respectively. This is the first nationwide analysis of spine tumors, including metastatic spine tumors, in Asia.