Advanced prostate cancer. The role of high priced hormone therapy

To compare the costs of the various options presently available in Australia for treatment of advanced prostatic carcinoma by androgen deprivation.

Forty patients underwent a bilateral orchidectomy for prostatic carcinoma during the 1990/91 financial year at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane. The Yale Cost Model, as adapted for use in Australian case-mix projects, was used to derive a diagnosis related group (DRG) cost for this procedure. This was compared with the projected cost that would be incurred in treating patients with the various medical alternatives. To enable comparison, expenses were calculated assuming a mean duration of survival of two years.

The average cost of a bilateral orchidectomy was $2869. This compared to $11,253 for goserelin and $12,329 for cyproterone acetate when used alone in treating a single patient. Flutamide is presently only approved for combination therapy with a luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonist, and when used with goserelin an average cost of $16,148 per patient was projected.

Bilateral orchidectomy is clearly the cheapest means of hormone manipulation for prostatic carcinoma. Unless the costs of alternative therapies are drastically reduced in Australia, their use is difficult to justify in other than exceptional circumstances. We believe their use should be restricted presently to patients who would otherwise require a bilateral orchidectomy and have an anticipated survival of less than six months.