Chemotherapy Use, End-of-Life Care, and Costs of Care Among Patients Diagnosed With Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Context

For patients with metastatic cancer and limited life expectancy, potential benefits of chemotherapy must be balanced against harms to quality of life near death and increased out-of-pocket costs of care.

Objectives

To evaluate the association between chemotherapy use by patients with Stage IV pancreatic cancer and health care use and Medicare and out-of-pocket costs in the last 30 days of life.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 3825 patients aged 66 years or older when diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in 2006-2011, using the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data. Using a propensity score matched sample, we examined associations between initiation of chemotherapy shortly after the metastatic diagnosis (and

SUBMITTER: Bao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5856587 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature