Table 2.
Among the female SEER-Medicare breast cancer cohorta (2005–2009; N = 56,449), median and interquartile range (IQR) per capita costs for women within the diagnostic/preoperative window (N = 53,653) by tumor characteristics, with and without breast MRI
| Total Median Costs | MRI | No MRI | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N = 53,653) | (N = 10,776) | (N = 42,877) | ||||||
| Characteristicsb of women | N | % | Median | IQR ($) | Median | IQR ($) | Median | IQR ($) |
| Total | 53,653 | 100 % | $1,353 | (818–2,042) | $2,251 | (1,783–2,971) | $1,152 | (708–1,727) |
| Stage | ||||||||
| 0 | 8,533 | 16 % | $1,721 | (1,232–2,368) | $2,627 | (2,090–3,228) | $1,524 | (1,160–2,085) |
| I | 25,146 | 47 % | $1,393 | (878–2,080) | $2,255 | (1,799–2,985) | $1,190 | (781–1,751) |
| II | 14,328 | 27 % | $1,106 | (627–1,838) | $2,093 | (1,662–2,776) | $891 | (547–1,442) |
| III | 3,838 | 7 % | $1,008 | (535–1,76) | $2,078 | (1,631–2,775) | $825 | (452–1,345) |
| IV | 503 | 1 % | $927 | (449–1,685) | $2,023 | (1,690–2,791) | $738 | (405–1,294) |
| Unknown | 1,305 | 2 % | $1,310 | (815–1,938) | $2,118 | (1,620–2,743) | $1,176 | (741–1,712) |
| Histology (invasive) | ||||||||
| Ductal | 33,134 | 62 % | $1,259 | (751–1,953) | $2,186 | (1,742–2,892) | $1,068 | (664–1,641) |
| Lobular | 5,005 | 9 % | $1,359 | (765–2,061) | $2,155 | (1,736–2,837) | $1,025 | (615–1,576) |
| Mixed | 3,177 | 6 % | $1,346 | (795–2,094) | $2,264 | (1,774–2,968) | $1,058 | (656–1,580) |
| Other | 3,804 | 7 % | $1,232 | (714–1,877) | $2,178 | (1,623–2,927) | $1,078 | (648–1,674) |
| Grade | ||||||||
| High | 12,125 | 24 % | $1,392 | (877–2,083) | $2,284 | (1,811–3,050) | $1,191 | (772–1,754) |
| Intermediate | 22,522 | 45 % | $1,351 | (822–2,054) | $2,238 | (1,776–2,944) | $1,129 | (708–1,715) |
| Low | 15,133 | 30 % | $1,289 | (726–1,969) | $2,212 | (1,747–2,899) | $1,100 | (636–1,676) |
| Nodal Status | ||||||||
| Positive | 11,009 | 25 % | $1,119 | (623–1,851) | $2,113 | (1,652–2,842) | $890 | (534–1,439) |
| Negative | 32,952 | 75 % | $1,379 | (847–2,074) | $2,242 | (1,788–2,951) | $1,158 | (739–1,734) |
| ER Status | ||||||||
| Positive | 40,999 | 84 % | $1,367 | (827–2,061) | $2,249 | (1,787–2,971) | $1,152 | (716–1,732) |
| Negative | 7,978 | 16 % | $1,263 | (728–1,960) | $2,231 | (1,747–2,935) | $634 | (634–1,633) |
| Size | ||||||||
| <1 cm | 12,455 | 25 % | $1,569 | (1,090–2,253) | $2,451 | (1,967–3,184) | $1,369 | (987–1,936) |
| 1 to <2 cm | 19,135 | 39 % | $1,348 | (824–2,031) | $2,187 | (1,745–2,925) | $1,127 | (723–1,716) |
| 2 to <5 cm | 15,281 | 31 % | $1,098 | (610–1,826) | $2,097 | (1,660–2,798) | $891 | (532–1,459) |
| 5+ cm | 2,620 | 5 % | $1,057 | (535–1,870) | $2,133 | (1,719–2,810) | $840 | (438–1,420) |
| Primary Treatment | ||||||||
| Mastectomy | 19,650 | 37 % | $1,267 | (696–1,955) | $2,265 | (1,746–3,028) | $1,053 | (602–1,686) |
| BCSc without Radiation | 12,972 | 24 % | $1,362 | (838–2,035) | $2,285 | (1,782–2,955) | $1,198 | (744–1,744) |
| BCSc with Radiation | 21,031 | 39 % | $1,413 | (909–2,126) | $2,230 | (1,801–2,925) | $1,201 | (602–1,762) |
| Number of days in Diagnostic/preoperative Window | ||||||||
| <= Median (25 days) | 27,779 | 52 % | $1,172 | (685–1,768) | $2,009 | (1,626–2,543) | $1,056 | (633–1,588) |
| > Median (25 days) | 25,874 | 48 % | $1,593 | (998–2,354) | $2,392 | (1,878–3,229) | $1,272 | (828–1,915) |
aEnrollment based on age, fee-for-service, and equal parts A and B
bMissing (N): Grade (3,873), Nodal status (9,692), ER status (4,598), Size (4,162)
cBCS: Breast Conserving Surgery