Purpose: The study objective was to provide population-based estimates of supportive care medication (SCM) use among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer and determine factors related to SCM receipt.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study of community-based Medicare beneficiaries used the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (1997–2007). Dependent variables comprised use and spending on SCMs for three medication classes: opioids, antidepressants/sedative/hypnotics (ASH), and antiemetics. Independent variables of interest were supplemental insurance coverage, cancer site, and treatment. Multivariate models determined factors affecting receipt of, and spending on, SCMs. We also compared SCM use and spending among beneficiaries with and without cancer in order to understand what portion of SCM use and spending could be attributed to cancer as opposed to other comorbid conditions.
Results: A total of 1,836 Medicare beneficiaries with cancer and 9,898 beneficiaries without cancer were eligible for the study. Beneficiaries with cancer were more likely to receive opioids, ASH, and antiemetics compared to non-cancer beneficiaries. Adjusted annual payments for antiemetics were on average $637 higher in with cancer versus without cancer (p<0.01), while ASH payments were $184 lower (p<0.01). Opioid spending was similar among cancer and non-cancer users. Relative to colon cancer, beneficiaries with prostate cancer were least likely to receive any of the three SCM classes. Receipt of antineoplastic treatment increased the probability of use of all three classes of SCMs. Insurance coverage did not influence the use of or spending on opioids or antiemetics, but was associated with both outcomes for ASH. The use of all three SCM classes was significantly lower during years before Part D implementation of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit and was higher after implementation of Part D.
Conclusion: This study provides population-based information on SCM use among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer. Cancer site and treatment modality were important predictors of SCM use.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-014-2187-2 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Art of TIL immunotherapy: SITC's perspective on demystifying a complex treatment.
J Immunother Cancer
January 2025
Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
In a first for solid cancers, cellular immunotherapy has entered standard of care in the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. The infusion of autologous tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TIL) is capable of mediating durable tumor regression and is now Food and Drug Administration-approved for patients with disease refractory to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Since the advent of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for patients with hematological malignancies, a growing network of centers capable of delivering effector T cell products to patients has developed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrognostic roles of hematological indicators in programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death ligand 1 inhibitors for small-cell lung cancer: a retrospective cohort study.
J Thorac Dis
December 2024
Department of Oncology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Background: Lung cancer is the main cause of cancer death in the world, with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounting for about 10-15% of all lung cancers. Although programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors represent a major breakthrough in SCLC treatment, only a minority of patients will benefit and there is still a lack of accurate biomarkers to guide clinical application. Inflammation plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis, tumor development, metastasis, and drug resistance, but there is limited research on the predictive value of these inflammatory indicators in SCLC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStatin Use With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Survival in Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer.
Clin Lung Cancer
December 2024
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD.
Objective: To determine the association between concurrent statin use with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and lung cancer-specific and overall mortality in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Materials And Methods: SEER-Medicare was used to conduct a retrospective study of Medicare beneficiaries ≥65 years of age diagnosed with NSCLC between 2007 and 2017 treated with an ICI. Patients were followed from date of first ICI claim until death, 1 month from last ICI claim, or 12/31/2018, whichever came first.
Impact of Academic Medical Centers on Surgical Outcomes of Neighboring Non-Academic Medical Centers.
J Am Coll Surg
January 2025
Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH.
Introduction: We aimed to investigate the geographic variation of Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) across different healthcare markets and the impact on surgical outcomes in nearby non-AMCs.
Methods: Patients who underwent major surgery between 2016 and 2021 were identified from the Medicare Standard Analytic Files. Healthcare markets were delineated using Dartmouth Atlas hospital referral regions.
Association Between Positive Airway Pressure Therapy and Healthcare Costs Among Older Adults with Comorbid Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Common Chronic Conditions: An Actuarial Analysis.
Sleep
January 2025
Santa Barbara Actuaries Inc., Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
Study Objectives: To determine the association between adherence to positive airway pressure and healthcare costs among a national sample of older adults with comorbid OSA and common chronic conditions.
Methods: Our data source was a random sample of Medicare administrative claims for years 2016-2019. Inclusion criteria included age >65 years and new diagnosis of OSA.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!