Utilization and expense of adjuvant cancer therapies following radical prostatectomy

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We sought to identify the costs of adjuvant therapies following radical prostatectomy (RP) and factors associated with their receipt. METHODS: We used SEER-Medicare data from 2004-2006 to identify 4247 men who underwent RP, of whom 600 subsequently received adjuvant therapies. We used Cox regression to identify factors associated with receipt of adjuvant therapies. Health care expenditures within 12 months of diagnosis were compared for RP alone versus RP with adjuvant therapies. RESULTS: Biopsy Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen, risk group, and SEER region were significantly associated with receipt of adjuvant treatments (all P