The burden of skeletal-related events in patients with prostate cancer and bone metastasis

To assess contemporary characteristics, hospital admissions, charges, and mortality in patients with prostate cancer (CaP) who have bone metastases and skeletal-related events in an observational study.

Relying on the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), patients with CaP with bone metastases between 1998 and 2010 were abstracted. Patients who experienced skeletal-related events were identified, and hospital charges were calculated. Generalized linear regression analyses focused on in-hospital mortality.

Between 1998 and 2010, a weighted estimate of 443,929 CaP visits with bone metastases was recorded. Of these, 15.9% experienced at least 1 SRE. The rate of SRE decreased from 18% to 15.4% (1998-2010, estimated annual percent change [EAPC] =-1.44%, P = 0.005) and the SRE-associated mortality decreased from 8.5% to 4.7% (1998-2010, EAPC =-3.68%, P = 0.004). Nevertheless, the inflation-adjusted charges associated with hospital visits of patients with CaP with bone metastases rose by 92% to $1,512,449,106 (EAPC = +8.82%, P<0.001), and SRE charges rose by 94% to $369,256,799 (EAPC =+7.62%, P<0.001). Predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with SRE included age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.02), comorbidities (≥3 vs. 0-1, OR = 1.72), SRE of the upper limb (OR = 1.75), SRE of the lower limb (OR = 1.35), spinal cord compression (OR = 1.48), radiation (OR = 0.68), surgery (OR = 0.32), and year of hospitalization (2010 vs. 1998, OR = 0.54; all P< 0.03).

From 1998 to 2010, the incidence of SRE and SRE-associated mortality in patients with CaP and bone metastases decreased. However, charges for SRE-associated hospitalizations have increased alarmingly. Future health care policies should strive to provide cost-effective prevention and management of SREs in this population.