PCN85 - Cost-of-Illness and Treatment Patterns of Gynecologic Cancer in the United States: An Empirical Analysis Based On MEPS Database 2007-2014

Abstract

Gynecologic cancers affect over 1.1 million females and accounted for 13% new female cancer cases and 11% female deaths. We aimed to describe the treatments patterns and estimate the treatment costs of gynecologic cancers; and to assess cost-of-illness associated with key risk factors. A retrospective repeated measure design was used. Primary data sources were extracted from the annual Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) databases from 2007 to 2014. The Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization was used as framework for analyzing patient utilization and cost of healthcare. Patient characteristics were examined and compared among uterine, cervical, and ovarian cancer patients using Chi-squared test. Multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate for calculating treatment cost with a prior logarithmic transformation. A total of 477 patients (weighted N=609,787) were identified with gynecologic cancer diagnoses. The estimated annual direct treatment cost attributable to gynecologic cancers was $3.8 billion with $6,293 per patient (standard error [SE] =$773). The annual predicted costs were $13,566 (± $1,123) for ovarian cancer, ($6,852 ± $615) for uterine, and ($2,312 ± $418) for cervical cancers. Of 9,670 prescriptions for study patients, the most frequently prescribed medications were analgesics (39%), sex hormones (17.1%), antineoplastic hormones (9.9%), and antiemetic/antivertigo agents (3.2%). High treatment cost was significantly associated with married women, having private health insurance, patients from low- and middle-income families, or living in Midwest/ South regions. Gynecologic cancers place considerable social economic burden with substantial treatment costs.