Costs and outcomes of cancer care in older adults : population-based analysis

Abstract

Cancer is a major cause of mortality worldwide. The disease disproportionately affects the older population and 60% of new cancer cases and 70% of cancer-related deaths occur in individuals aged 65 or older. Large national population databases serve as a major source of data for important research that has advanced our understanding of cancer outcomes. One such database is the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry data linked with Medicare claims. In this thesis the linked SEERMedicare dataset was used to evaluate costs and outcomes of cancer care in older patients with head and neck cancer, pancreatic cancer and metastatic cancer of various sites.