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Radiation costs vary widely by delivery, U-M study finds
October 09, 2009ANN ARBOR, Mich. - When cancer spreads to the bone, radiation treatments can help relieve the pain caused by the tumor. But how best to deliver the radiation may vary widely from one oncologist to the next.
A new analysis from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center shows cost also varies widely from one delivery method to the next. Costs can range from around $1,700 for a single treatment with conventional radiation techniques to more than $16,000 for four treatments using a system of radiation delivery called Cyberknife.
"Some of the technologies that have been shown to be safe and effective, but have not been shown to be superior, can cost up to 10 times what a single dose of conventionally delivered radiation costs," says David D. Howell, M.D., assistant professor of radiation oncology at the U-M Medical School and medical director of radiation oncology at the Norval K. Morey Cancer Center in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., part of the U-M Radiation Oncology Network.
Howell presented the results this week at the Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco, a meeting sponsored by six leading cancer organizations.
Research has shown a single treatment with standard radiation can be equally effective as 10 treatments of standard radiation when it comes to relieving pain associated with cancer that has spread to the bone. Fewer treatments also spare patients and their caregivers from more trips to the radiation department.
But some doctors believe that delivering radiation using more recently developed technologies for radiation delivery, such as stereotactic radiosurgery or Cyberknife, will yield better pain control or fewer side effects in the long term for certain patients. Studies to date have not unequivocally confirmed these views, and research is ongoing.
Most radiation oncologists will consider a variety of factors in choosing a treatment strategy, such as the location and type of cancer, how well it may respond to radiation as well as the patient's previous and current cancer treatment.
"In considering the big picture of patient care and treatments for cancer, safety, efficacy, side effects, the patient's time commitment and comfort all should enter into the mix. Cost is another parameter that should be considered," Howell says.
Methodology: The researchers used regional Medicare reimbursement codes to look at reimbursements associated with seven different radiation treatment scenarios for cancer that has spread to the bone. This included the number of treatments given, the setting of either freestanding center or hospital-based center, and the use of one of three different radiation technologies: Cyberknife, stereotactic radiosurgery and conventional radiation.
University of Michigan Health System
Howell presented the results this week at the Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco, a meeting sponsored by six leading cancer organizations.
Research has shown a single treatment with standard radiation can be equally effective as 10 treatments of standard radiation when it comes to relieving pain associated with cancer that has spread to the bone. Fewer treatments also spare patients and their caregivers from more trips to the radiation department.
But some doctors believe that delivering radiation using more recently developed technologies for radiation delivery, such as stereotactic radiosurgery or Cyberknife, will yield better pain control or fewer side effects in the long term for certain patients. Studies to date have not unequivocally confirmed these views, and research is ongoing.
Most radiation oncologists will consider a variety of factors in choosing a treatment strategy, such as the location and type of cancer, how well it may respond to radiation as well as the patient's previous and current cancer treatment.
"In considering the big picture of patient care and treatments for cancer, safety, efficacy, side effects, the patient's time commitment and comfort all should enter into the mix. Cost is another parameter that should be considered," Howell says.
Methodology: The researchers used regional Medicare reimbursement codes to look at reimbursements associated with seven different radiation treatment scenarios for cancer that has spread to the bone. This included the number of treatments given, the setting of either freestanding center or hospital-based center, and the use of one of three different radiation technologies: Cyberknife, stereotactic radiosurgery and conventional radiation.
University of Michigan Health System
Radiation Oncology Current Events and Radiation Oncology News RSSPET imaging response a prognostic factor after thoracic radiation therapy for lung cancer
A rapid decline in metabolic activity on a PET scan after radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer is correlated with good local tumor control, according to a study presented by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital at the 51st ASTRO Annual Meeting.
Radiation therapy technique successfully treats pain in patients with advanced cancer
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), a radiation therapy procedure pioneered at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) that precisely delivers a large dose of radiation to tumors, effectively controls pain in patients with cancer that has spread to the spine.
Aiming to avoid damage to neurocognitive areas of the brain during cranial radiation
Radiation oncologists at Rush University Medical Center are intent on finding ways to avoid damage to the critically important hippocampus and limbic circuit of the brain when cranial radiation is required to treat existing or potential metastatic cancers.
PMH finding may help some tonsil cancer patients avoid chemotherapy
Clinical researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) have confirmed that patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer ("tonsil cancer") harbour a common type of human papilloma virus (HPV16), but also that such cancers are very sensitive to radiation.
Study of concurrent radiotherapy, chemotherapy shows promise in small cell lung cancer
Treating limited stage small cell lung cancer(LSCL) with a combination of accelerated high-dose radiotherapy and chemotherapy has shown encouraging results.
Stereotactic radiotherapy offers noninvasive, effective treatment for frail patients with early-stage lung cancer
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) should be considered a new standard of care for early-stage lung cancer treatment in patients with co-existing medical problems, according to results from a national clinical trial led by UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians.
Preventative brain radiation for lung cancer patients: Benefits and risks
A new study is taking a closer look at the benefits versus risks for lung cancer patients to undergo preventative brain radiation therapy as a means to stop cancer from spreading to the brain.
Short-term hormone therapy and intermediate dose radiation increases survivial for early stage prostate cancer
Short-term hormone therapy given prior to and during intermediate dose radiation treatment for men with early stage prostate cancer increases their chance of living longer, compared to those who receive the same radiation alone.
Developmental drug may help bone fractures heal after radiation exposure
A drug currently under development by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine may help bone fractures heal more quickly after radiation exposure, according to a study by Pitt researchers.
Adapting Space-Industry Technology to Treat Breast Cancer
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating on a study to determine if an imaging technique used by NASA to inspect the space shuttle can be used to predict tissue damage often experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.
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