A retrospective analysis of health care costs for bone fractures in women with early-stage breast carcinoma
✍ Scribed by Zhiyuang Zhou; Alberto Redaelli; Olof Johnell; Richard J. Willke; Giorgio Massimini
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2004
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 313 KB
- Volume
- 100
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0008-543X
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
BACKGROUND
In this retrospective data base study, the authors sought to estimate direct costs for bone fractures in women age ≥ 65 years with early‐stage breast carcinoma and to compare those costs with treatment costs for bone fractures in older women without early‐stage breast carcinoma.
METHODS
Direct costs for bone fractures in patients with early‐stage breast carcinoma, which consist of excess treatment costs for bone fracture and excess costs of long‐term care for bone fracture, were evaluated by using the 1997–1998 Standard Analytical File. The statistical significance of the difference in inpatient costs, medical treatment costs, and long‐term care admission rates were determined with the t test and the Fisher chi‐square test, respectively.
RESULTS
For older women with early‐stage breast carcinoma, the direct costs for bone fracture were estimated at $45,579, and 57% of those costs came from treating the bone fracture (32% came from inpatient hospital costs, and 25% came from noninpatient hospital costs), 25% came from other excess treatment costs, and 18% came from excess long‐term care costs. The women who had early‐stage breast carcinoma and sustained bone fracture did not differ significantly from the women without early‐stage breast carcinoma who sustained a bone fracture.
CONCLUSIONS
Bone fracture was associated with high direct costs in older women with early‐stage breast carcinoma. Additional research should include appropriate, incidence‐based studies to investigate the potential benefit of an intervention for preventing bone fracture in this increasingly large patient population. Cancer 2004. © 2003 American Cancer Society.