New all oral therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV): a novel long-term cost comparison.

Background: In the US, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has surpassed the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with about 3.3 million people chronically infected with the disease. Given the aging of the Baby Boomer generation and the subsequent implementation of age-based screening recommendations, HCV diagnoses are expected to increase.

Walgreens connected care: impact of managed therapy on adherence to medications used to treat multiple sclerosis and related comorbid conditions.

Background: The Walgreens Connected Care Multiple Sclerosis (CCMS) treatment management program provides enhanced levels of monitoring, oversight, and care for patients taking MS disease-modifying agents. This study compared rates of adherence to MS medications for patients participating in the CCMS program for at least 6 months with those for patients participating for less than 6 months. For a subsample of patients, we also examined the relationship between adherence and the presence of fatigue or depression.

Impact of HIV-specialized pharmacies on adherence to medications for comorbid conditions.

Objective: To determine if patients using human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specialized pharmacies have greater adherence to drugs used to treat comorbid conditions and HIV compared with patients who use traditional pharmacies.

Design: Retrospective cohort study, with patients' propensity matched based on pharmacy use: HIV-specialized versus traditional.

Setting: Nationwide pharmacy chain.

Evaluation of increased adherence and cost savings of an employer value-based benefits program targeting generic antihyperlipidemic and antidiabetic medications.

Background: A major employer implemented a change to its employee health benefits program to allow beneficiaries with diabetes or high cholesterol to obtain preselected generic antidiabetic or generic antihyperlipidemic medications with a zero dollar copayment. To receive this benefit, plan beneficiaries were required to participate in a contracted vendor's case management and/or wellness program. 

Objective: To assess changes in medication adherence and the costs for generic antidiabetic and generic antihyperlipidemic medications resulting from participation in a zero copay (ZCP) program.

Fear of recurrence, symptom burden, and health-related quality of life in men with prostate cancer.

Objectives: To examine the contributions of fear of recurrence and the more commonly examined treatment-related symptoms to the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of men treated for localized prostate cancer.

Methods: A total of 730 men with localized disease were identified from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor, a national, prospective study of men with prostate cancer. Pre- to post-treatment changes in fear of recurrence, treatment-specific symptoms and burden, comorbidities at diagnosis, number of new symptoms, and post-treatment HRQOL data were analyzed.

Insurance and quality of life in men with prostate cancer: data from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urological Research Endeavor.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of medical insurance coverage on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes in men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, as insurance status has been shown to be related to clinical presentation, and types of treatments received for localized prostate cancer, but the relationship of insurance and QoL has not been explored sufficiently.

Patients And Methods: Data from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urological Research Endeavor (CaPSURE), a national longitudinal database registry of men with prostate cancer, were used for this study. Men who were newly diagnosed at entry to CaPSURE and completed one questionnaire before treatment, and one or more afterwards, were included.

The relationship between anxiety and time to treatment for patients with prostate cancer on surveillance.

Purpose: Little is known about psychosocial factors affecting the decision to move from surveillance to active treatment in men with localized prostate cancer. We examined the impact of cancer anxiety on the decision to move from surveillance to treatment.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed data from CaPSURE, a national observational prostate cancer registry.

Incidence of urethral stricture after primary treatment for prostate cancer: data From CaPSURE.

Purpose: We determined the incidence of treatment for urethral stricture, including bladder neck contracture, after primary treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: A total of 6,597 men with newly diagnosed, localized prostate cancer and no history of urethral stricture disease were identified in the CaPSURE database. Treatment modalities included radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, cryotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy, radical prostatectomy plus external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy plus external beam radiotherapy and watchful waiting.

Prostate brachytherapy: a descriptive analysis from CaPSURE.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe demographic and clinical characteristics in a large disease registry of prostate cancer patients treated with prostate brachytherapy (PB) and to identify factors influencing the use of supplemental external beam (SEB) radiation therapy and choice of isotope.

Methods And Materials: Data were abstracted from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE), a disease registry of 11,804 men with various stages of prostate cancer. The study population consisted of those men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1990 and 2003, had no prior history of cancer and were treated with PB (alone or with SEB).

Education predicts quality of life among men with prostate cancer cared for in the Department of Veterans Affairs: a longitudinal quality of life analysis from CaPSURE.

Background: Previous findings have suggested that patient educational attainment is related to cancer stage at presentation and treatment for localized prostate cancer, but there is little information on education and quality of life outcomes. Patient education level and quality of life were examined among men diagnosed with prostate cancer and cared for within an equal-access health care system, the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration (VA).

Methods: Participants were 248 men with prostate cancer cared for in the VA and enrolled in CaPSURE.

Bladder cancer incidence and risk factors in men with prostate cancer: results from Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor.

Purpose: We evaluated a large disease registry to determine the incidence of bladder cancer in patients with prostate cancer and investigate whether the type of treatment for prostate cancer increased the risk of bladder cancer.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed the CaPSURE disease registry for men diagnosed with prostate cancer plus bladder cancer between 1989 and 2003. Demographics, comorbidities and prostate cancer treatment modalities were compared in patients with and without bladder cancer.

Limited pelvic lymph node dissection at the time of radical prostatectomy does not affect 5-year failure rates for low, intermediate and high risk prostate cancer: results from CaPSURE.

Purpose: Limited bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection performed at radical prostatectomy provides staging information that is used to guide further disease management. Given the effects of widespread prostate specific antigen testing and stage migration, most procedures in the United States are performed for low risk disease, which has a low probability (less than 1%) of lymph node metastasis. We compared 5-year treatment failure rates in patients with low, intermediate and high risk disease who underwent radical prostatectomy with or without pelvic lymph node dissection.

Cumulative cost pattern comparison of prostate cancer treatments.

Background: Studies that compare prostate cancer treatment costs show wide variation. None compare all contemporary treatment costs, and most focus on initial treatment costs. The authors compared healthcare utilization and cost patterns of prostate cancer treatments over a span of 5.

Quality of life for men receiving a second treatment for prostate cancer.

Purpose: We assessed the impact of second treatment on health related quality of life for men with prostate cancer. This issue is important because second treatment resulting from prostate specific antigen recurrence has the potential to further negatively impact health related quality of life and affect the overall value of treatment. We compared differences in health related quality of life before and after second treatment for men who had asymptomatic prostate specific antigen recurrence with those who did not have biochemical failure.

Health-related quality of life for men with prostate cancer and diabetes: a longitudinal analysis from CaPSURE.

Objectives: To compare diabetic versus nondiabetic men with prostate cancer to understand whether diabetes mellitus (DM) imposes an additional burden on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) before and after radical prostatectomy, adjusting for obesity.

Methods: Data were abstracted from Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE), a disease registry of 12,005 men with localized prostate cancer. Men were included who had undergone surgical treatment from 1989 to 2003, had body mass index (BMI) information available, and had completed both a pretreatment and at least one posttreatment HRQOL questionnaire within 24 months.

Uterine fibroids: a review of health-related quality of life assessment.

Objective: To summarize the literature describing the impact of uterine fibroids on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), the measures used to assess HRQOL, and related areas for future research.

Methods: A search of three electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and Current Contents) was performed, and 40 papers were identified referencing leiomyoma or uterine fibroids and (health-related) quality of life (HRQOL). Studies including women with benign gynecological conditions other than uterine fibroids were also reviewed.

Reduced incidence of bony metastasis at initial prostate cancer diagnosis: data from CaPSURE.

Purpose: Despite stage migration as a result of screening, many individuals are diagnosed each year with metastatic (M+), as opposed to localized (M0), prostate cancer. This study describes features that characterize patients with M+ compared to those diagnosed with M0 disease.

Materials And Methods: Patients enrolled in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE), a national, longitudinal registry of men with prostate cancer, formed the basis of this study.

Changing patterns of pelvic lymphadenectomy for prostate cancer: results from CaPSURE.

Purpose: Widespread screening for prostate cancer in the United States has resulted in earlier tumor identification at lower stages. The fewer number of men with lymph node metastases at initial presentation has altered patterns of pelvic lymphadenectomy before definitive treatment. We characterized patterns of pelvic lymphadenectomy in conjunction with radical prostatectomy in a community based cohort.

Impact of increased number of biopsies on the nature of prostate cancer identified.

Purpose: Increasing the number of cores obtained at the time of transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy has increased the number of cancers identified. However, there is increasing recognition that many men with prostate cancer may not benefit from early, aggressive intervention and that over detection of prostate cancer has resulted in over treatment. We determined the impact of the greater number of prostate biopsies on the nature of cancer identified.

Androgen-deprivation therapy as primary treatment for localized prostate cancer: data from Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE).

Background: Prostate cancer is largely an androgen-sensitive disease. Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) generally has been used for patients with advanced disease. However, ADT is used increasingly as monotherapy for patients with clinically localized disease.

Impact of comorbidity on health-related quality of life in men undergoing radical prostatectomy: data from CaPSURE.

Objectives: Comorbidity is one of many factors that may affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in men with prostate cancer. We hypothesized that the number and type of comorbidities negatively affect HRQOL in men undergoing radical prostatectomy.

Methods: We reviewed HRQOL outcomes before and up to 2 years after radical prostatectomy for men with localized prostate cancer in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE), a longitudinal disease registry.

Comorbidity and primary treatment for localized prostate cancer: data from CaPSURE.

Purpose: The optimal approach for treating localized prostate cancer remains controversial, leading to a multifactorial decision making process. We characterized the extent to which the presence and number of comorbidities affects treatment for localized prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Data were abstracted from a longitudinal observational database of men with prostate cancer.

Prostate biopsy tumor extent but not location predicts recurrence after radical prostatectomy: results from CaPSURE.

Purpose: Prostate cancer biopsy information is important for patient risk assessment. Although the number and extent of positive biopsies have been used to predict recurrence, the impact of positive biopsy location and contiguity is less clear. We compared the ability of positive prostate biopsy location and pattern with number and percent positive biopsies to predict recurrence after RP.

Differences in clinical characteristics and disease-free survival for Latino, African American, and non-Latino white men with localized prostate cancer: data from CaPSURE.

Background: Few studies of ethnicity and prostate cancer have included Latino men in analyses of baseline clinical characteristics, treatment selection, and disease-free survival (DFS). The present study examines the impact of Latino ethnicity on these parameters in a large, multiinstitutional database of men with prostate cancer.

Methods: We compared baseline disease characteristics and clinical outcomes for Latino (N = 138), non-Latino White (NLW, N = 5619), and African-American (AA, N = 608) men with localized prostate cancer by using chi-square and ANOVA for baseline variables and survival analysis to examine differences in time to recurrence.

Inpatient surgical treatment patterns for patients with uterine fibroids in the United States, 1998-2002.

Objective: To analyze the impact of patient and organizational characteristics on surgical treatment patterns for patients with uterine fibroids.

Methods: Unadjusted means and percentages were calculated from a population-based inpatient sample (HCUPNIS). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the prevalence odds ratios for the association of uterine fibroid treatments and covariates of interest.