Skin Cancer in U.S. Elderly Adults: Does Life Expectancy Play a Role in Treatment Decisions?

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To examine whether life expectancy influences treatment pattern of nonmelanoma skin cancer, or keratinocyte carcinoma (KC), the most common malignancy and the fifth most costly cancer to Medicare.

Design

Nationally representative cross-sectional study.

Setting

Nationally representative Health and Retirement Study linked to Medicare claims.

Participants

Treatments (N = 9,653) from individuals aged 65 and older treated for basal or squamous cell carcinoma between 1992 and 2012 (N = 2,702) were included.

Measurements

Limited life expectancy defined according to aged 85 and older, medical comorbidities, Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 3 or greater, difficulty in at least one activity of daily living (ADL), and a Lee index of 13 or greater. Tre

SUBMITTER: Linos E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5459407 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature