Out-of-pocket expenses are significant for patients with localized prostate cancer and persist up to 24 months after diagnosis, investigators reported at the American Urological Association’s 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
The amount of these expenses varied according to prostate cancer risk group. The average monthly out-of-pocket expenses totaled $305, $181, $172, and $99 at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after diagnosis, respectively, for patients with low-risk disease; $397, $328, $258, and $166, respectively, for those with intermediate-risk disease; and $351, $369, $233, and $197, respectively, for those with high-risk disease.
The total expenses took into account prescription and non-prescription medications costs and other expenses such as parking, travel, meals, and caregivers.
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Lead author Ravishankar Jayadevappa, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, noted that these findings can play an important role in the shared decision-making process between patients and their physicians.
On top of out-of-pocket expenses, many patients reported missing work, especially patients with intermediate- and high-risk disease at the 3-month follow-up, the investigators reported in a poster presentation. Regardless of risk group, patients reported requiring additional time for travel and performing usual work persisting out to 24 months.
Dr Jayadevappa and colleagues analyzed survey responses from 495 patients with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer. They defined low-risk disease as a PSA level of 10 ng/mL or less, Gleason score 6 or less, and stage T1c-T2a; intermediate-risk disease as a PSA level above 10 but not more than 20 ng/mL, Gleason 7, or stage T2b; and high-risk disease as a PSA level above 20 ng/mL, Gleason score 8-10, or stage T2c.
“Patient-centered survivorship care strategies are needed to lower financial toxicity and improve outcomes in prostate cancer care,” the investigators concluded.
Reference
Jayadevappa R, Gallo JJ, Guzzo T, et al. Out-of-pocket cost among prostate cancer risk groups. Presented at: AUA 2023, Chicago, Illinois, April 28-May 1. Poster MP39-07.
This article originally appeared on Renal and Urology News
