Urologist Practice Affiliation and Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer in the Elderly.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prostate cancer treatment is a significant source of morbidity and spending. Some men with prostate cancer, particularly those with significant health problems, are unlikely to benefit from treatment.

Objective

To assess relationships between financial incentives associated with urologist ownership of radiation facilities and treatment for prostate cancer.

Design, setting, and participants

A retrospective cohort of Medicare beneficiaries with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2012. Patients were further classified by their risk of dying from noncancer causes in the 10 yr following their cancer diagnosis by using a mortality model derived from comparable patients known to be cancer-free.

Intervention

Urologists were categorized by their pract

SUBMITTER: Hollenbeck BK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5817042 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature