Medical New Today reports on a new study from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group suggests that the least expensive, single-modality cancer treatment may cost more in the long run because of the costs associated with treating complications and recurrence of cancer. Excerpts below.
Link: Oncology Combo Treatment Costs More, Saves Money Later
From a health insurer's perspective, the most effective cancer treatment may also be the most cost-effective, according to a new study sponsored by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG 91-11).
Compared to higher-priced combination treatments, the least expensive, single-modality cancer treatment may cost more in the long run because of the costs associated with treating complications and recurrence of cancer, said lead author Andre A. Konski, M.D., M.B.A., M.A., a radiation oncologist and director of clinical research in Fox Chase Cancer Center's radiation oncology department. Konski presented the results 7-Nov-2006 at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Philadelphia.
The study examined costs for patients with Medicare insurance who had taken part in an RTOG clinical trial, #9111, for locally advanced laryngeal cancer between 1991 and 1996. That randomized phase III trial was designed to compare three treatment regimens--two combining radiation therapy and chemotherapy and one using only radiation therapy.
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