The researchers aimed to determine the differences in outcomes and costs for various prostate cancer treatments, including radical prostatectomy (open, laparoscopic or robot-assisted) and radiation therapy (dose-escalated three-dimensional conformal RT, intensity-modulated RT, brachytherapy or combination).
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The researchers used a model to determine the probable outcomes of primary treatment for hypothetical men with low-, intermediate- and high-risk localized prostate cancer. The authors based probabilities on a literature search of 232 publications and they determined costs from the USA payor perspective.
Results showed only slight differences in quality-adjusted life years across all treatment types. Surgical methods were generally more effective than RT methods, except for combined external beam and brachytherapy for high-risk disease.
However, there was a wide range of costs, spanning from $19,901 for robot-assisted prostatectomy for low-risk disease to $50,276 for combined RT for high-risk disease.
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