Prostate cancer was associated with a significant financial burden for 15% of men with early-stage prostate cancer -- with external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) causing the biggest hit to the wallet -- in a study published November 30 in the Journal of Urology.
The Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation (CEASAR) study sought to evaluate direct and indirect costs for 2,121 men with localized prostate cancer using questionnaires following enrollment, with 60 months follow-up. Researchers compared responses for those who had active surveillance, radical prostatectomy, and external-beam radiotherapy.
Overall, 15% of patients said that they had a large or very large burden associated with treatment at the six-month time point, a figure that dropped to 3% after five years. Those who had undergone EBRT had a significantly higher burden compared with active surveillance and radical prostatectomy at one year and three years, Dr. Daniel Barocas, an associate professor of urology at Vanderbilt University, and colleagues reported. In fact, according to the questionnaires, the burdens with EBRT were up to twice as high as with active surveillance and surgery.
"External beam radiotherapy was associated with the highest financial burden, even when controlling for age, education, and income," the authors concluded. "Prospective studies that directly measure out-of-pocket and indirect costs and account more thoroughly for baseline socioeconomic differences are warranted in order to identify those most at risk."
