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The following is a summary of “Cost of ovarian cancer by the phase of care in the United States,” published in the February 2025 issue of American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology by Adjei et al.
Ovarian cancer has a poor prognosis due to delayed diagnosis, and rising treatment costs highlight the need for better biomarkers and therapeutic strategies.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to estimate the real-world mean and median costs of ovarian cancer care over the first 5 years after diagnosis, categorized by phase of care, age, race/ethnicity, and geographic region.
They analyzed claims data from Optum’s deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart database for patients with ovarian cancer diagnosed between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020. The database included inpatient, outpatient, and prescription claims for commercially insured and Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. Ovarian cancer care costs were assessed for the start of care (first 6 months), continuing care (period between initial and end-of-life care), and end-of-life care (last 6 months) phases, reported in 2021 U.S. dollars. Costs were grouped by age, race/ethnicity, and geographic region. Due to skewed cost distribution, mean cost data were log-transformed, and ordinary least-squares regression was applied, adjusting for categorical age, race/ethnicity, and geographic region.
The results showed that 7,913 patients were included in the analysis. The mean annual cost of ovarian cancer care exceeded $200,000 during the start of care (first 6 months), ranged from $26,000 to $88,000 in the continuing care phase, and surpassed $129,000 in the end-of-life care phase (last 6 months). Significant associations were observed between age and costs in each phase. Older patients had higher costs during continuing care but lower costs in end-of-life care compared to younger patients. Geographic variations in costs were noted across all phases, while no significant associations were found between costs and race/ethnicity.
Investigators concluded that ovarian cancer care costs were significant and variable, necessitating sustainable cost-reduction interventions as more expensive, yet potentially life-extending, treatments emerge.
Source: ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(24)00846-9/abstract
