Assessment of Medical and Public Assistance Expenditures and Employment Among US Adults With Cancer Diagnoses.

Importance: Prior research suggests significant social value associated with increased longevity due to preventing and treating cancer. Other social costs associated with cancer, such as unemployment, public medical spending, and public assistance, may also be sizable. Objective: To examine whether a cancer history is associated with receipt of disability insurance, income, employment, and medical spending. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Study (MEPS) (2010-2016) for a nationally representative sample of US adults aged 50 to 79 years. Data were analyzed from December 2021 to March 2023. Exposure: Cancer history. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes were employment, public assistance receipt, disability, and medical expenditures. Variables for race, ethnicity, and age were used as controls. A series of multivariate regression models were used to assess the immediate and 2-year association of a cancer history with disability, income, employment, and medical spending. Results: Of 39 439 unique MEPS respondents included in the study, 52% were female, and the mean (SD) age was 61.44 (8.32) years; 12% of respondents had a history of cancer. Individuals with a cancer history who were aged 50 to 64 years were 9.80 (95% CI, 7.35-12.25) percentage points more likely to have a work-limiting disability and were 9.08 (95% CI, 6.22-11.94) percentage points less likely to be employed compared with individuals in the same age group without a history of cancer. Nationally, cancer accounted for 505 768 fewer employed individuals in the population aged 50 to 64 years. A cancer history was also associated with an increase of $2722 (95% CI, $2131-$3313) in medical spending, $6460 (95% CI, $5254-$7667) in public medical spending, and $515 (95% CI, $337-$692) in other public assistance spending. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, a history of cancer was associated with increased likelihood of disability, higher medical spending, and decreased likelihood of employment. These findings suggest there may be gains beyond increased longevity if cancer can be detected and treated earlier.

Spending On Targeted Therapies Reduced Mortality In Patients With Advanced-Stage Breast Cancer.

Costly targeted therapies are playing an increasingly important role in treating cancer. To characterize trends in spending on targeted therapies for breast cancer and to estimate the association of these therapies with cancer mortality, we analyzed cancer diagnoses in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program-Medicare linked database. We categorized total cancer spending into spending on targeted therapies, spending on nontargeted therapies, and spending on other cancer care. Diagnosis-year spending on targeted therapies increased from $1,024 per patient in 2000 to $18,809 per patient in 2015 for patients with advanced-stage cancer and from $82 to $3,289 for patients with early-stage cancer. For patients with advanced-stage cancer, a $1,000 increase in spending on targeted therapies in the diagnosis year was associated with a 0.55-percentage-point decrease in adjusted three-year cancer mortality, whereas for patients with early-stage cancer, there was no association. The other two types of spending (on nontargeted therapies and other cancer care) were not associated with mortality among patients with either advanced- or early-stage cancer. Our results indicate that among various types of cancer treatments, only targeted therapies generated meaningful survival gains for patients with advanced-stage breast cancer.

Simulating the Fiscal Impact of Anti-Obesity Medications as an Obesity Reduction Strategy.

While substantial public health investment in anti-smoking initiatives has had demonstrated benefits on health and fiscal outcomes, similar investment in reducing obesity has not been undertaken, despite the substantial burden obesity places on society. Anti-obesity medications (AOMs) are poorly prescribed despite evidence that weight loss is not sustained using other strategies alone.We used a simulation model to estimate the potential impact of 100% uptake of AOMs on Medicare and Medicaid spending, disability payments, and taxes collected relative to status quo with negligible AOM use. Relative to status quo, AOM use simulation would result in Medicare and Medicaid savings of $231.5 billion and $188.8 billion respectively over 75 years. Government tax revenues would increase by $452.8 billion. Overall, the net benefit would be $746.6 billion. Anti-smoking efforts have had substantial benefits for society. A similar investment in obesity reduction, including broad use of AOMs, should be considered.

Associations of Intensive Lifestyle Intervention in Type 2 Diabetes With Health Care Use, Spending, and Disability: An Ancillary Study of the Look AHEAD Study.

Importance: Intensive lifestyle interventions focused on diet and exercise can reduce weight and improve diabetes management. However, the long-term effects on health care use and spending are unclear, especially for public payers. Objective: To estimate the association of effective intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss with long-term health care use and Medicare spending. Design, Setting, and Participants: This ancillary study used data from the Look AHEAD randomized clinical trial, which randomized participants with type 2 diabetes to an intensive lifestyle intervention or control group (ie, diabetes support and education), provided ongoing intervention from 2001 to 2012, and demonstrated improved diabetes management and reduced health care costs during the intervention. This study compared Medicare data between study arms from 2012 to 2015 to determine whether the intervention was associated with persistent reductions in health care spending. Exposure: Starting in 2001, Look AHEAD's intervention group participated in sessions with lifestyle counselors, dieticians, exercise specialists, and behavioral therapists with the goal of reducing weight 7% in the first year. Sessions occurred weekly in the first 6 months of the intervention and decreased over the intervention period. The controls participated in periodic group education sessions that occurred 3 times per year in the first year and decreased to 1 time per year later in the trial. Main Outcomes and Measures: Outcomes included total Medicare spending, Part D prescription drug costs, Part A and Part B Medicare spending, hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and disability-related Medicare eligibility. Results: This study matched Medicare administrative records for 2796 Look AHEAD study participants (54% of 5145 participants initially randomized and 86% of 3246 participants consenting to linkages). Linked intervention and control participants were of a similar age (mean [SD] age, 59.6 [5.4] years vs 59.6 [5.5] years at randomization) and sex (818 [58.1%] women vs 822 [59.3%] women). There was no statistically significant difference in total Medicare spending between groups (difference, -$133 [95% CI, -$1946 to $1681]; P = .89). In the intervention group, compared with the control group, there was statistically significantly higher Part B spending (difference, $513 [95% CI, $70 to $955]; P = .02) but lower prescription drug costs (difference, -$803 [95% CI, -$1522 to -$83]; P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance: This ancillary study of a randomized clinical trial found that reductions in health care use and spending associated with an intensive lifestyle intervention for type 2 diabetes diminished as participants aged. Intensive lifestyle interventions may need to be sustained to reduce long-term health care spending. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03952728.

Does Medicare Coverage Improve Cancer Detection and Mortality Outcomes?

Medicare is a large government health insurance program in the United States that covers about 60 million people. This paper analyzes the effects of Medicare insurance on health for a group of people in urgent need of medical care: people with cancer. We used a regression discontinuity design to assess impacts of near-universal Medicare insurance at age 65 on cancer detection and outcomes, using population-based cancer registries and vital statistics data. Our analysis focused on the three tumor sites for which screening is recommended both before and after age 65: breast, colorectal, and lung cancer. At age 65, cancer detection increased by 72 per 100,000 population among women and 33 per 100,000 population among men; cancer mortality also decreased by nine per 100,000 population for women but did not significantly change for men. In a placebo check, we found no comparable changes at age 65 in Canada. This study provides the first evidence to our knowledge that near-universal access to Medicare at age 65 is associated with improvements in population-level cancer mortality.

Lifetime Burden of Adult Congenital Heart Disease in the USA Using a Microsimulation Model.

Congenital heart defects (CHD) represent a growing burden of illness among adults. We estimated the lifetime health, education, labor, and social outcomes of adults with CHD in the USA using the Future Adult Model, a dynamic microsimulation model that has been used to study the lifetime impacts of a variety of chronic diseases. We simulated a cohort of adult heads of households > 25 years old derived from the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics who reported a childhood heart problem as a proxy for CHD and calculated life expectancy, disability-free and quality-adjusted life years, lifetime earnings, education attainment, employment, development of chronic disease, medical spending, and disability insurance claiming status. Total burden of disease was estimated by comparing to a healthy cohort with no childhood heart problem. Eighty-seven individuals reporting a childhood heart problem were identified from the PSID and were used to generate the synthetic cohort simulated in the model. Life expectancy, disability-free, quality-adjusted, and discounted quality-adjusted life years were an average 4.6, 6.7, 5.3, and 1.4 years lower than in healthy adults. Lung disease, cancer, and severe mental distress were more common compared to healthy individuals. The CHD cohort earned $237,800 less in lifetime earnings and incurred higher average total medical spend by $66,600 compared to healthy individuals. Compared to healthy adults, the total burden of CHD is over $500K per adult. Despite being among the healthiest adults with CHD, there are significant decrements in life expectancy, employment, and lifetime earnings, with concomitant increases in medical spend.

Economic Value of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment for Patients With Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the United States.

Importance: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) is a breakthrough treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), the most common cause of blindness in western countries. Anti-VEGF treatment prevents vision loss and has been shown to produce vision gains lasting as long as 5 years. Although this treatment is costly, the benefits associated with vision gains are large. Objective: To estimate the economic value of benefits, costs for patients with wAMD, and societal value in the United States generated from vision improvement associated with anti-VEGF treatment. Design, Setting, and Participants: This economic evaluation study used data from the published literature to simulate vision outcomes for a cohort of 168 820 patients with wAMD aged 65 years or older and to translate them into economic variables. Data were collected and analyzed from March 2018 to November 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: Main outcomes included patient benefits, costs, and societal value. Each outcome was estimated for a newly diagnosed cohort and the full population across 5 years, with a focus on year 3 as the primary outcome because data beyond that point may be less representative of the general population. Drug costs were the weighted mean across anti-VEGF therapies. Two current treatment scenarios were considered: less frequent injections (mean [SD], 8.2 [1.6] injections annually) and more frequent injections (mean [range], 10.5 [6.8-13.1] injections annually). The 2 treatment innovation scenarios, improved adherence and best case, had the same vision outcomes as the current treatment scenarios had but included more patients treated from higher initiation and lower discontinuation. Results: The study population included 168 820 patients aged 65 years at the time of diagnosis with wAMD. The underlying clinical trials that were used to parameterize the model did not stratify visual acuity outcomes or treatment frequency by sex; therefore, the model parameters could not be stratified by sex. The current treatment scenario of less frequent injections generated $1.1 billion for the full population in year 1 and $5.1 billion in year 3, whereas the scenario of more frequent injections generated $1.6 billion (year 1) and $8.2 billion (year 3). Three-year benefits ranged from $7.3 billion to $11.4 billion in the improved adherence scenario and from $9.7 billion to $15.0 billion if 100% of the patients initiated anti-VEGF treatment and the discontinuation rates were 6% per year or equivalent to clinical trial discontinuation (best-case scenario). Societal value (patient benefits net of treatment cost) ranged from $0.9 billion to $3.0 billion across 3 years in the current treatment scenarios and from $0.9 billion to $4.3 billion in the treatment innovation scenarios. Conclusions and Relevance: This study's findings suggest that improved vision associated with anti-VEGF treatment may provide economic value to patients and society if the outcomes match published outcomes data used in these analyses; however, future innovations that increase treatment utilization may result in added economic benefit.

Trends in the Price per Median and Mean Life-Year Gained Among Newly Approved Cancer Therapies 1995 to 2017.

BACKGROUND: The prices of newly approved cancer drugs have risen over the past decades. A key policy question is whether the clinical gains offered by these drugs in treating specific cancer indications justify the price increases. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the price per median and mean life year gained among newly approved cancer therapies from 1995 to 2017. METHODS: We collected data on the price (in 2017 USD) per life-year gained among cancer drug-indication pairs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1995 and 2017. We modeled trends using fractional polynomial and linear spline regression models that controlled for route of administration and cancer type fixed effects. RESULTS: We found that between 1995 and 2012, price increases outstripped median survival gains, a finding consistent with previous literature. Nevertheless, price per mean life-year gained increased at a considerably slower rate, suggesting that new drugs have been more effective in achieving longer-term survival. Between 2013 and 2017, price increases reflected equally large gains in median and mean survival, resulting in a flat profile for benefit-adjusted launch prices in recent years. CONCLUSIONS: Although drug costs have been rising more rapidly than median survival gains, they have been rising at about the same rate as mean survival gains. This suggests that when accounting for longer-term survival gains, the benefits of new drugs are roughly keeping pace with their costs, despite rapid cost growth.

The potential impact of CAR T-cell treatment delays on society.

OBJECTIVES: To date, breakthrough chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, such as tisagenlecleucel, indicated for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pALL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and axicabtagene ciloleucel, indicated for DLBCL, although clinically effective, have been limited by treatment delays. Our study measured the social value of CAR T-cell therapy (CAR T) for relapsed or refractory pALL and DLBCL in the United States and quantified social value lost due to treatment delays. STUDY DESIGN: We used an economic framework for therapy valuation, measuring social value as the sum of consumer surplus and manufacturer profit. Consumer surplus is the difference between the value of health gains from a therapy and its incremental cost, while accounting for indirect costs and benefits to patients. METHODS: For 20 incident cohorts of pALL (n = 20 × 400 = 8000) and DLBCL (n = 20 × 5902 = 118,040), we quantified patient value, calculated as the value of additional quality-adjusted life-years gained with CAR T, minus the incremental cost of CAR T compared with standard of care (SOC). We calculated manufacturer profits using a range of production costs given uncertainties in the production process. Patient value and manufacturer profits were summed to obtain total social value. We measured social value lost from treatment delays, assuming that patients received the SOC while awaiting CAR T-cell treatment. RESULTS: Depending on production costs, as much as $6.5 billion and $34.8 billion in social value was generated for patients with pALL and DLBCL, respectively. However, with 1, 2, or 6 months of treatment delay (assuming $200,000 production costs), the pALL population lost 9.8%, 36.2%, and 67.3% of social value, respectively, whereas the DLBCL population lost 4.2%, 11.5%, and 46.0%, relative to no delay. CONCLUSIONS: The social value of CAR T is significantly limited by treatment delays. Efficient payment mechanisms, adequate capital, and payment policy reform are urgently needed to increase patient access and maximize the value of CAR T.

PCSK9 Inhibitors Show Value for Patients and the US Health Care System.

BACKGROUND: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as cholesterol-lowering therapies for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the long-term health and economic value of PCSK9 inhibitors for Americans (51 years and older). METHODS: We conducted simulations using the Future Elderly Model, an established dynamic microsimulation model to project the lifetime outcomes for the US population aged 51 years and older. Health effects estimates and confidence intervals from published meta-analysis studies were used to project changes in life expectancy, quality-adjusted life-years, and lifetime medical spending resulting from the use of PCSK9 inhibitors. We considered two treatment scenarios: 1) current FDA eligibility and 2) an extended eligibility scenario that includes patients with no pre-existing cardiovascular disease but at high risk. We assumed that the price of PCSK9 inhibitors was discounted by 35% in the first 12 years and by 57% thereafter, with gradual uptake of the drug in eligible populations. RESULTS: Use of PCSK9 inhibitors by individuals covered by current FDA approval would extend life expectancy at the age of 51 years by an estimated 1.1 years and would yield a lifetime net value of $5800 per person. If use was extended to those at high risk for cardiovascular disease, PCSK9 inhibitors would generate a lifetime net benefit of $14,100 per person. CONCLUSIONS: Expanded access to PCSK9 inhibitors would offer positive long-term net value for patients and the US health care system at the current discounted prices.

Variations in outcomes of hemodialysis vascular access by race/ethnicity in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: Prevalence of end-stage renal disease, modality of treatment, and type of hemodialysis vascular access used varies widely by race/ethnicity in the United States, but outcomes of hemodialysis vascular access by race/ethnicity are poorly described. The objective of this study is to evaluate variations in outcomes of hemodialysis vascular access in the elderly by race/ethnicity. METHODS: Medicare outpatient, inpatient, and carrier files were queried from 2006 to 2011 for beneficiaries that were age ≥66 years and dialysis-dependent at time of index fistula/graft creation, qualified for Medicare by age only, and were continuously enrolled in Medicare 12 months before and after index fistula/graft creation. Primary outcome measures were early vascular access failure and 12-month failure-free survival, specifically, the variation in the difference between fistula and graft in non-White vs White race/ethnicity groups. RESULTS: Fistulas comprised a smaller proportion of index procedures performed in Blacks (65.9%; P < .001) and Asians (71.4%; P < .001), compared with Whites (78.0%) with no difference in Hispanics (78.7%; P = .59). Incidence of early failure after graft vs fistula was Whites, 34.9% vs 43.5% (P < .001), Blacks, 32.9% vs 49.1% (P < .001), Asians, 30.8% vs 40.5% (P = .014), and Hispanics 35.2% vs 43.2% (P = .005). The difference in early failure after fistula vs graft in Blacks was significantly larger than the difference in Whites (P < .001). The 12-month failure-free survival after index graft vs fistula was Whites 41.9% vs 38.9% (P = .008), Blacks 48.5% vs 37.3% (P < .001), Asians 51.6% vs 45.2% (P = .98), and Hispanics 51.9% vs 42.2% (P < .001). The difference in 12-month failure-free survival after graft vs fistula in Blacks and in Hispanics was larger than the difference in Whites (P < .001 and P = .02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes of fistulas vs grafts in the elderly vary significantly by race/ethnicity. The decreased risk of early failure after graft vs fistula creation is larger in Blacks compared with Whites. The higher failure-free survival at 12 months after graft vs fistula creation is larger in Blacks compared with Whites and trends toward being larger in Hispanics compared with Whites.

The Long-Term Benefits of Increased Aspirin Use by At-Risk Americans Aged 50 and Older.

BACKGROUND: The usefulness of aspirin to defend against cardiovascular disease in both primary and secondary settings is well recognized by the medical profession. Multiple studies also have found that daily aspirin significantly reduces cancer incidence and mortality. Despite these proven health benefits, aspirin use remains low among populations targeted by cardiovascular prevention guidelines. This article seeks to determine the long-term economic and population-health impact of broader use of aspirin by older Americans at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We employ the Future Elderly Model, a dynamic microsimulation that follows Americans aged 50 and older, to project their lifetime health and spending under the status quo and in various scenarios of expanded aspirin use. The model is based primarily on data from the Health and Retirement Study, a large, representative, national survey that has been ongoing for more than two decades. Outcomes are chosen to provide a broad perspective of the individual and societal impacts of the interventions and include: heart disease, stroke, cancer, life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy, disability-free life expectancy, and medical costs. Eligibility for increased aspirin use in simulations is based on the 2011-2012 questionnaire on preventive aspirin use of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. These data reveal a large unmet need for daily aspirin, with over 40% of men and 10% of women aged 50 to 79 presenting high cardiovascular risk but not taking aspirin. We estimate that increased use by high-risk older Americans would improve national life expectancy at age 50 by 0.28 years (95% CI 0.08-0.50) and would add 900,000 people (95% CI 300,000-1,400,000) to the American population by 2036. After valuing the quality-adjusted life-years appropriately, Americans could expect $692 billion (95% CI 345-975) in net health benefits over that period. CONCLUSIONS: Expanded use of aspirin by older Americans with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease could generate substantial population health benefits over the next twenty years and do so very cost-effectively.

Quantifying Gains in the War on Cancer Due to Improved Treatment and Earlier Detection.

INTRODUCTION: There have been significant improvements in both treatment and screening efforts for many types of cancer over the past decade. However, the effect of these advancements on the survival of cancer patients is unknown, and many question the value of both new treatments and screening efforts. METHODS: This study uses a retrospective analysis of SEER Registry data to quantify reductions in mortality rates for cancer patients diagnosed between 1997 and 2007. Using variation in trends in mortality rates by stage of diagnosis across cancer types, we use logistic regression to decompose separate survival gains into those attributable to advances in treatment versus advances in detection. We estimate the gains in survival due to gains in both treatment and detection overall and separately for 15 of the most common cancer types. RESULTS: We estimate that 3-year cancer-related mortality of cancer patients fell 16.7% from 1997 to 2007. Overall, advances in treatment reduced mortality rates by approximately 12.2% while advances in early detection reduced mortality rates by 4.5%. The relative importance of treatment and detection varied across cancer types. Improvements in detection were most important for thyroid, prostate and kidney cancer. Improvements in treatment were most important for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, lung cancer and myeloma. CONCLUSION: Both improved treatment options and better early detection have led to significant survival gains for cancer patients diagnosed from 1997 to 2007, generating considerable social value over this time period.

Early Failure of Dialysis Access among the Elderly in the Era of Fistula First.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recent evidence indicates that fistula maturation and patency may be compromised in the elderly dialysis population compared with younger patients. The objective of this study was to characterize the short-term outcomes of arteriovenous fistulas and arteriovenous grafts for hemodialysis access in the Medicare population. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: This was a retrospective cohort study performed using Medicare Part A and B claims data from 2006 through 2011. The study population included 16,464 dialysis-dependent patients age ≥66 years undergoing arteriovenous fistula and arteriovenous graft creation. The primary outcome measure was incidence of repeat fistula/graft creation and tunneled catheter placements in the 12 months after arteriovenous fistula and graft creation. RESULTS: In the 12 months postindex fistula/graft, the mortality in the fistula group was 28.2% versus 29.9% in the graft group (P=0.03). A repeat fistula/graft creation was required in 26.9% of patients in the fistula group and 16.7% in the graft group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients who required a tunneled hemodialysis catheter in the 12 months after an index fistula creation (fistula 28.4% versus graft 27.3%, P=0.19). In the index fistula group, 44.4% of patients required a repeat fistula/graft creation and/or a tunneled catheter, compared with 33.7% in the graft group (P<0.001). At 365 days after the index fistula/graft, the repeat fistula/graft/catheter-free survival was 39.7% in the fistula group versus 46.0% in the graft group (P<0.001). Index fistula was associated with a higher risk of loss of repeat fistula/graft/catheter-free survival with an odds ratio of 1.19 (95% confidence interval, 1.13 to 1.24). CONCLUSIONS: Fistulas were associated with a somewhat lower mortality than grafts in the first 12 months after creation. However, the incidence of repeat fistula/graft creation and tunneled catheter placement is substantially higher in the first 12 months after fistula creation compared with grafts. One-year repeat fistula/graft/catheter-free survival is lower after fistula creation than grafts.

Evaluating Expected Costs and Benefits of Granting Access to New Treatments on the Basis of Progression-Free Survival in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

IMPORTANCE: Surrogate end points may be used as proxy for more robust clinical end points. One prominent example is the use of progression-free survival (PFS) as a surrogate for overall survival (OS) in trials for oncologic treatments. Decisions based on surrogate end points may expedite regulatory approval but may not accurately reflect drug efficacy. Payers and clinicians must balance the potential benefits of earlier treatment access based on surrogate end points against the risks of clinical uncertainty. OBJECTIVE: To present a framework for evaluating the expected net benefit or cost of providing early access to new treatments on the basis of evidence of PFS benefits before OS results are available, using non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as an example. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A probabilistic decision model was used to estimate expected incremental social value of the decision to grant access to a new treatment on the basis of PFS evidence. The model analyzed a hypothetical population of patients with NSCLC who could be treated during the period between PFS and OS evidence publication. Estimates for delay in publication of OS evidence following publication of PFS evidence, expected OS benefit given PFS benefit, incremental cost of new treatment, and other parameters were drawn from the literature on treatment of NSCLC. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Incremental social value of early access for each additional patient per month (in 2014 US dollars). RESULTS: For "medium-value" model parameters, early reimbursement of drugs with any PFS benefit yields an incremental social cost of more than $170,000 per newly treated patient per month. In contrast, granting early access on the basis of PFS benefit between 1 and 3.5 months produces more than $73,000 in incremental social value. Across the full range of model parameter values, granting access for drugs with PFS benefit between 3 and 3.5 months is robustly beneficial, generating incremental social value ranging from $38,000 to more than $1 million per newly treated patient per month, whereas access for all drugs with any PFS benefit is usually not beneficial. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The value of providing access to new treatments on the basis of surrogate end points, and PFS in particular, likely varies considerably. Payers and clinicians should carefully consider how to use PFS data in balancing potential benefits against costs in each particular disease.

Cancer mortality reductions were greatest among countries where cancer care spending rose the most, 1995-2007.

Health care spending and health outcomes vary markedly across countries, but the association between spending and outcomes remains unclear. This inevitably raises questions as to whether continuing growth in spending is justified, especially relative to the rising cost of cancer care. We compared cancer care across sixteen countries over time, examining changes in cancer spending and two measures of cancer mortality (amenable and excess mortality). We found that compared to low-spending health systems, high-spending systems had consistently lower cancer mortality in the period 1995-2007. Similarly, we found that the countries that increased spending the most had a 17 percent decrease in amenable mortality, compared to 8 percent in the countries with the lowest growth in cancer spending. For excess mortality, the corresponding decreases were 13 percent and 9 percent. Additionally, the rate of decrease for the countries with the highest spending growth was faster than the all-country trend. These findings are consistent with the existence of a link between higher cancer spending and lower cancer mortality. However, further work is needed to investigate the mechanisms that underlie this correlation.

Robot-assisted surgery for kidney cancer increased access to a procedure that can reduce mortality and renal failure.

Surgeons increasingly use robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery for a variety of medical conditions. For hospitals, the acquisition and maintenance of a robot requires a significant investment, but financial returns are not linked to any improvement in long-term patient outcomes in the current reimbursement environment. Kidney cancer provides a useful case study for evaluating the long-term value that this innovation can provide. Kidney cancer is generally treated through partial or radical nephrectomy, with evidence favoring the former procedure for appropriate patients. We found that robot-assisted surgery increased access to partial nephrectomy and that partial nephrectomy reduced mortality and renal failure. The value of the benefits of robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery to patients, in terms of quality-adjusted life-years gained, outweighed the health care and surgical costs to patients and payers by a ratio of five to one. In addition, we found no evidence that the availability of robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery increased the likelihood that inappropriate patients received partial nephrectomy.