Cost profiles of colorectal cancer patients in Italy based on individual patterns of care

作者：Silvia Francisci, Stefano Guzzinati, Maura Mezzetti, Emanuele Crocetti, Francesco Giusti, Guido Miccinesi, Euǵenio Paci, Catia Angiolini, Anna Gigli · 发表于：BMC Cancer · 年份：2013 · DOI：10.1186/1471-2407-13-329 · 被引用次数：29 · 研究领域：Economic and Financial Impacts of Cancer、Global Cancer Incidence and Screening、Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: Due to changes in cancer-related risk factors, improvements in diagnostic procedures and treatments, and the aging of the population, in most developed countries cancer accounts for an increasing proportion of health care expenditures. The analysis of cancer-related costs is a topic of several economic and epidemiological studies and represents a research area of great interest to public health planners and policy makers. In Italy studies are limited either to some specific types of expenditures or to specific groups of cancer patients. Aim of the paper is to estimate the distribution of cancer survivors and associated health care expenditures according to a disease pathway which identifies three clinically relevant phases: initial (one year following diagnosis), continuing (between initial and final) and final (one year before death). METHODS: The methodology proposed is based on the reconstruction of patterns of care at individual level by combining different data sources, surveillance data and administrative data, in areas covered by cancer registration. RESULTS: A total colorectal cancer-related expenditure of 77.8 million Euros for 18012 patients (corresponding to about 4300 Euros per capita) is estimated in 2006 in two Italian areas located in Tuscany and Veneto regions, respectively. Cost of care varies according to the care pathway: 11% of patients were in the initial phase, and consumed 34% of total expenditure; patients in the final (6%) and in the conti...