scholarly journals Paying on the Margin for Medical Care: Evidence from Breast Cancer Treatments

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liran Einav ◽  
Amy Finkelstein ◽  
Heidi Williams

We present a simple graphical framework to illustrate the potential welfare gains from a “top-up” health insurance policy requiring patients to pay the incremental price for more expensive treatment options. We apply this framework to breast cancer treatments, where lumpectomy with radiation therapy is more expensive than mastectomy but generates similar average health benefits. We estimate the relative demand for lumpectomy using variation in distance to the nearest radiation facility, and estimate that the “top-up” policy increases social welfare by $700–2,500 per patient relative to two common alternatives. We briefly discuss additional tradeoffs that arise from an ex ante perspective. (JEL G22, I11, I13, I18)

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. BCBCR.S784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mugdha Dabeer ◽  
Michelle Cororve Fingeret ◽  
Fatima Merchant ◽  
Gregory P. Reece ◽  
Elisabeth K. Beahm ◽  
...  

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer in the US. It is estimated that more than 180,000 American women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2008. Fortunately, the survival rate is relatively high and continually increasing due to improved detection techniques and treatment methods. However, maintaining quality of life is a factor often under emphasized for breast cancer survivors. Breast cancer treatments are invasive and can lead to deformation of the breast. Breast reconstruction is important for restoring the survivor's appearance. However, more work is needed to develop technologies for quantifying surgical outcomes and understanding women's perceptions of changes in their appearance. A method for objectively measuring breast anatomy is needed in order to help both the breast cancer survivors and their surgeons take expected changes to the survivor's appearance into account when considering various treatment options. In the future, augmented reality tools could help surgeons reconstruct a survivor's breasts to match her preferences as much as possible.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
William W. Chance ◽  
Karen J. Ortiz-Ortiz ◽  
Kai-Ping Liao ◽  
Diego E. Zavala Zegarra ◽  
Michael C. Stauder ◽  
...  

Purpose To identify rates of postoperative radiation therapy (RT) after breast conservation surgery (BCS) in women with stage I or II invasive breast cancer treated in Puerto Rico and to examine the sociodemographic and health services characteristics associated with variations in receipt of RT. Methods The Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry–Health Insurance Linkage Database was used to identify patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2008 and 2012 in Puerto Rico. Claims codes identified the type of surgery and the use of RT. Logistic regression models were used to examine the independent association between sociodemographic and clinical covariates. Results Among women who received BCS as their primary definitive treatment, 64% received adjuvant RT. Significant predictors of RT after BCS included enrollment in Medicare (odds ratio [OR], 2.14; 95% CI, 1.46 to 3.13; P ≤ .01) and dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.27; P < .01). In addition, it was found that RT was more likely to have been received in certain geographic locations, including the Metro-North (OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.48 to 3.28; P < .01), North (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.20 to 2.64; P < .01), West (OR, 4.04; 95% CI, 2.61 to 6.25; P < .01), and Southwest (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.70 to 4.59; P < .01). Furthermore, patients with tumor size > 2.0 cm and ≤ 5.0 cm (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.93; P = .02) and those with tumor size > 5.0 cm (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.92; P = .03) were found to be significantly less likely to receive RT. Conclusion Underuse of RT after BCS was identified in Puerto Rico. Patients enrolled in Medicare and those who were dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare were more likely to receive RT after BCS compared with patients with Medicaid alone. There were geographic variations in the receipt of RT on the island.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (30_suppl) ◽  
pp. 24-24
Author(s):  
Manxia Wu ◽  

24 Background: Large population-based studies on TNBC epidemiology and treatment pattern in the US were generally limited due to lack of routinely data collection on these biomarkers until recent years. This study examined and documented general treatment status and factors associated with the treatments among TNBC patients in the US. Methods: We used the latest released NPCR and SEER combined cancer registry data, which covers 100% of the US population. All women in the US with a primary invasive TNBC breast cancer diagnosed between 2013 and 2015 were included. First course treatment patterns by AJCC staging on TNBC were examined based on corresponding year’s NCCN guideline recommendations. Regression analysis were performed to identify factors associated with treatments. Results: There were 74,952 TNBC women included in the study. Ninety three percent of women with early stage of TNBC had surgery, and 35% women with mastectomy chose to undergo contralateral prophylactic mastectomy. Among stage I-III patients, those aged < 35, Non-Hispanic Asian Pacific Islander, living in other regions than northeast or metropolitan were more likely to have mastectomy compared to BCS. Radiation therapy were only received for 65% women with breast conserving surgery (BCS), which were less likely to be performed in non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and among those aged < 35 or > 70+. Chemotherapy were received for 75% of TNBC women, ranged from 63% (stage I) to 86% (stage III). Treatment variations among different demographic and geographic characteristics in chemotherapy were also observed. Conclusions: Overall, current treatment practice for TNBC in the US is generally concordance with the recommended breast cancer care except a relative low radiation therapy among BCS women. However, treatment disparities existed within the limited treatment options, and factors associated with the disparities also varied. More effective treatment options and treatment equality are warranted to improve overall care of this subtype.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. TPS1099-TPS1099
Author(s):  
Kamran A. Ahmed ◽  
Youngchul Kim ◽  
Michelle DeJesus ◽  
Priya Kumthekar ◽  
Nicole Olivia Williams ◽  
...  

TPS1099 Background: HER2+ breast cancer patients with leptomeningeal disease (LMD) represent a poor prognosis population with a high unmet clinical need. Although a multitude of treatment options are available for the management of systemic disease, once metastases travel to the leptomeninges, patients have a lack of treatment options aside from traditional local approaches. Data from a phase I/II study reveals intrathecal (IT) trastuzumab to be well tolerated with improved overall survival (OS) compared to historical controls in HER2+ breast LMD. Radiotherapy can improve the flow of IT therapy through the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and provide symptomatic relief. The monoclonal antibody pertuzumab is used in conjunction with trastuzumab in the management of metastatic and localized HER2+ breast cancer. Given the role of radiotherapy in the management of LMD along with the role of pertuzumab in the management of HER2+ breast cancer, there is a strong clinical rationale to combine radiotherapy with IT trastuzumab/pertuzumab in the management of HER2+ breast LMD. Methods: The study is designed as a prospective, single-arm, nonrandomized, open-label, phase I/II trial of radiation therapy followed by IT trastuzumab/pertuzumab in the management of HER2+ breast LMD. HER2+ LMD patients identified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or CSF cytology, ≥ 18, with a life expectancy > 8 weeks are eligible. Treatment is initiated with radiotherapy, whole brain radiotherapy and/or focal brain/spine radiation followed by IT trastuzumab/pertuzumab. Safety and feasibility will be monitored by a modified toxicity probability interval-2 (mTPI-2) design. Dose reductions of IT trastuzumab will not be allowed. Once the maximum tolerated dose of IT pertuzumab is determined, the phase II portion of the study will commence to determine OS. Secondary objectives involve defining the CSF pharmacokinetics of IT trastuzumab/pertuzumab, evaluating the response rate (leptomeningeal and parenchymal), and progression free survival (leptomeningeal and parenchymal) following IT trastuzumab/pertuzumab. In the phase 2 portion, a single-arm two-stage trial is designed using the Restricted-Kwak-and-Jung’s Method. The primary endpoint is one-year OS. An interim analysis will be performed after 20 patients are enrolled. This study is open with 1 patient enrolled at the time of submission. Clinical trial information: NCT04588545 .


GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-108
Author(s):  
Yu E Dobrokhotova ◽  
S E Arakelov ◽  
S Zh Danelyan ◽  
E I Borovkova ◽  
A E Zykov ◽  
...  

Associated with pregnancy is breast cancer, which was first detected during pregnancy, during the first year after childbirth or at any time against lactation. Diagnosis of the disease in the first trimester is an indication for abortion. The detection of the disease after 20 weeks and the desire of the woman to maintain pregnancy is the basis for conducting a total mastectomy followed by polychemotherapy with doxorubicin with cyclophosphamide or with fluorouracil. Radiation therapy during pregnancy is not applied. The timing and method of delivery are determined individually and depend on the stage of the process and the period of pregnancy, when it was identified. A clinical case of a patient with edematous-infiltrative form of breast cancer of the IV stage, diagnosed for the first time in 22 weeks of pregnancy, is presented.


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