Hospitalizations following cancer diagnosis: National values for frequency, duration, and charges.

Abstract

12039 Background: US medical care costs for cancer are projected to be $158 billion in 2020. Hospitalization is a substantial component of these costs; however, little is known about national patterns of hospitalization among individuals with cancer. This study used Medicare data to determine national rates and charges for hospitalizations among older cancer patients. Methods: We used data from 100% of individuals diagnosed with cancer in SEER-Medicare in the most recent 5 years available, 2011-2015. Analyses determined proportion of patients hospitalized, number/duration of hospitalizations, and charges by patient clinical and sociodemographic characteristics within 12 months of diagnosis. Results: Among 307,944 unique patients, 65% were hospitalized in the first year following diagnosis. Rates ranged from 34% for patients with in situ disease to 82%-84% for patients with advanced disease; 31% had 2 or more hospitalizations. Hospitalization rates were lowest among skin melanoma (25%) and breast (42%) cancer patients, highest for brain/nervous system (97%) and ovarian (96%) cancer patients. Hospitalized patients had a mean of 2.1 hospitalizations; mean days per hospitalization within 12 months was 8.8 (median 4). Duration of hospitalization varied little by stage at diagnosis. Mean days per hospitalization was shortest for thyroid and prostate cancer patients (5.7 & 6.0 days), longest for colorectal cancer and leukemia patients (10.6 & 11.3 days). DRGs varied substantially by cancer type; DRG for chemotherapy administration was more frequent among hospitalizations for patients with hematologic malignancies or distant stage disease. Mean Medicare charge (2016 $) per hospitalization was $67,368 (median $41,973), and was lowest for breast cancer patients ($48,021), highest for leukemia patients ($91,799). Patient charges per hospitalization averaged $1107 (median $1317) and showed little variation by cancer type or stage. Conclusions: Most older individuals experience at least one hospitalization within 12 months of cancer diagnosis. Frequency, duration, and charges of hospitalizations vary by cancer type and stage. This nationally representative information will aid in projecting cancer care costs and potential economic impacts of new therapies and treatment program.