Trogdon JG, et al. - Researchers sought to determine the Medicare costs associated with detection and treatment of prostate cancer in this Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare study of 49,692 men aged 70 years or older. The median per-patient cost related to diagnosis and workup, treatment, follow-up, and morbidity management was $14,453 within 3 years after diagnosis. The median cost was $1,914 for those with a Gleason score of 6 or lower who received no active treatment within 1 year of diagnosis. In men 70 years or older, the estimated total 3-year cost to Medicare associated with the annual detection of prostate cancer is $1.2 billion. Findings thereby reveal that despite the fact that prostate cancer tends not to be fatal among elderly men in the US, substantial costs to the Medicare program are associated with the diagnosis and treatment of localized prostate cancer. Treatment accounts for the majority of the costs. Significant health care savings seems possible with a reduction in low-value health care services among this patient population.