Studies from American Cancer Society Yield New Data on Medicare and Medicaid (Comparison of Comorbid Medical Conditions in the National Cancer…

Studies from American Cancer Society Yield New Data on Medicare and Medicaid (Comparison of Comorbid Medical Conditions in the National Cancer Database and the SEER-Medicare Database)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- A new study on Medicare and Medicaid is now available. According to news reporting originating from Atlanta, Georgia, by VerticalNews correspondents, research stated, "Physicians routinely factor comorbidities into diagnostic and treatment decisions. Analyses of treatment patterns and outcomes using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) usually adjust for comorbidities; however, the completeness of comorbidity ascertainment in the NCDB has never been assessed."

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from American Cancer Society, "We compared the prevalence of comorbidities captured in the NCDB and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare among female breast, non-small-cell lung, and colorectal cancer patients aged aeyen66. In the NCDB, ten fields were searched for comorbidities. In the SEER-Medicare dataset, Medicare claims were used to identify comorbidities for two time periods: 12 months prior to diagnosis (Prior) and Index claim alone. Chi-square tests were used to compare comorbidity prevalence using propensity score-matched subsamples from each dataset. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses by Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score and data source were conducted. Comorbidity prevalence in NCDB did not differ significantly from that identified in SEER-Medicare Index claims across all three cancer sites, except for congestive heart failure, chronic pulmonary disease, and renal disease. However, when compared to the prevalence identified through SEER-Medicare Prior claims, comorbidity prevalence in the NCDB was lower. Overall survival rates by NCDB comorbidity scores were nearly identical to those based on SEER-Medicare Index claims but were lower than those based on SEER-Medicare Prior claims, particularly in higher comorbidity score categories. The study found overall similarity of comorbidity prevalence between NCDB and SEER-Medicare Index claims, but much less similarity between NCDB and SEER-Medicare Prior claims."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Future researchers should understand the limitation of comorbidities ascertained in the NCDB and interpret results accordingly."

For more information on this research see: Comparison of Comorbid Medical Conditions in the National Cancer Database and the SEER-Medicare Database. Annals of Surgical Oncology, 2016;23(13):4139-4148. Annals of Surgical Oncology can be contacted at: Springer, 233 Spring St, New York, NY 10013, USA. (Springer - www.springer.com; Annals of Surgical Oncology - www.springerlink.com/content/1068-9265/)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting C.C. Lin, Amer Canc Soc, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States. Additional authors for this research include K.S. Virgo, A.S. Robbins, A. Jemal and E.M. Ward.

Keywords for this news article include: Atlanta, Georgia, United States, North and Central America, Medicare and Medicaid, Cancer, Epidemiology, Health Policy, Medicare, Oncology, American Cancer Society.

Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2016, NewsRx LLC