Treatment Patterns, Overall Survival, and Total Healthcare Costs of Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma in the USA.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive type of cancer with poor outcomes. OBJECTIVE:To describe treatment patterns, overall survival, and healthcare costs associated with advanced MCC (aMCC) using data from Medicare enrollees who received an aMCC diagnosis in the USA States between 2006 and 2013. METHODS:Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data from 2006 to 2013 were used to describe treatment patterns, 1- and 5-year overall survival, and total healthcare costs for the periods 12 months before aMCC diagnosis and 4-12 months afterward in patients aged ≥ 65 years. RESULTS:We identified 257 patients with an aMCC diagnosis, of whom 51% had stage IIIb disease and 49% had stage IV. Within 4 months after diagnosis, 84% of patients (n = 216) receive

SUBMITTER: Steuten L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6748883 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature