Radiation costs change among Medicare patients with cancer

Cost of deviation therapy among Medicare patients sundry many widely since of factors separate to a studious or that person’s cancer, news University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers in a Journal of Oncology Practice.

Year of diagnosis, plcae of treatment, hospital form and particular deviation provider accounted for 44 to 61 percent of a movement in cost for patients with breast, lung and prostate cancer therapies, according to a investigate published Aug 11 online. Factors compared with a studious or patient’s growth accounted for reduction than 3 percent of a movement in a cost of deviation therapy.

“We found that variability in Medicare payment for radiotherapy does not count on particular characteristics of patients or their cancers,” pronounced James Murphy, MD, partner highbrow during UC San Diego School of Medicine and deviation therapist during Moores Cancer Center during UC San Diego Health. “Rather, payment was tied to a provider, embankment and record used to provide patients. This strongly suggests inefficiency within a stream Medicare payment horizon for deviation therapy.”

Up to two-thirds of patients with cancer accept deviation therapy. Researchers focused on breast, prostate and lung cancers since they paint a many common malignancies treated with radiotherapy.

The cost of radiation