Lairson DR, et al. – Researchers undertook an investigation to find out the first 2–year cost of treating new cases of oropharyngeal cancer as well as to determine the predictors of oropharyngeal cancer treatment cost in Texas. Among commercially insured patients in Texas, medical care cost was about $140,000 in the first 2 years after diagnosis of oropharyngeal cancer.

Methods

• A retrospective cohort of 467 Texas patients with commercial insurance claims data with oropharyngeal cancer diagnosed from 2011 to 2014 and a control group of 467 noncancer patients obtained with propensity score matching, had been incorporated in this study.
• They estimated total healthcare cost during the first 2 years after the index date.
• In order to identify predictors of monthly cost during the 2 years after the index date, a generalized linear model was used.

Results

• $139,749 was the mean differential adjusted healthcare cost for oropharyngeal cancer cases in the first 2 years.
• For cases, the mean adjusted monthly cost in the first 2 years was $6,693, and $870 for controls.
• Significant predictors of monthly cost were age, comorbidity, mental health, prediagnostic healthcare cost, and time index.