Comparative Cost Analysis for the Surgical and Endovascular Treatment of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Utility of Administrative Databases and Big Data on Understanding Glioma Treatment—A Systematic Review

Background Gliomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors where large multicenter clinical and genetic studies have become increasingly popular in their understanding. We reviewed and analyzed the findings from large databases in gliomas, seeking to understand clinically relevant information.

Methods A systematic review was performed for gliomas studied using large administrative databases up to January 2020 (e.g., National Inpatient Sample [NIS], National Surgical Quality Improvement Program [NSQIP], and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program [SEER], National Cancer Database [NCDB], and others).

Results Out of 390 screened studies, 122 were analyzed. Studies included a wide range of gliomas including low- and high-grade gliomas. The SEER database (n = 83) was the most used database followed by NCDB (n = 28). The most common pathologies included glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (n = 67), with the next category including mixes of grades II to IV glioma (n = 31). Common study themes involved evaluation of descriptive epidemiological trends, prognostic factors, comparison of different pathologies, and evaluation of outcome trends over time. Persistent health care disparities in patient outcomes were frequently seen depending on race, marital status, insurance status, hospital volume, and location, which did not change over time. Most studies showed improvement in survival because of advances in surgical and adjuvant treatments.

Conclusions This study helps summarize the use of clinical administrative databases in gliomas research, informing on socioeconomic issues, surgical outcomes, and adjuvant treatments over time on a national level. Large databases allow for some study questions that would not be possible with single institution data; however, limitations remain in data curation, analysis, and reporting methods.

Cost analysis of materials used in the endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms in Mexico

BACKGROUND

To prevent the potentially fatal consequences of intracranial aneurysmal rupture, exclusion from the circulation can be achieved through an endovascular approach. However, the elevated cost of such procedures can be prohibitive for patients in low resource settings. The objective of this study is to identify the factors that modify the cost of the materials used for endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

METHODS

Medical records of patients who underwent an endovascular treatment for unruptured intracranial aneurysms between June 2013 and June 2019 in a hospital located in Northeast Mexico were reviewed. Descriptive statistics of the cost of consumable materials used during the procedure was performed, and a regression model was undertaken to examine potential associations between the studied variables and total cost of the intervention.

RESULTS

A total of 128 patients were included in this analysis. The average intervention cost was $21,687.22 USD. The variables associated with increased material cost were aneurysm size (p = 0.03), aneurysm neck size (p < 0.001), and aneurysm localization in the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery (p = 0.01). Other variables such as patient age and sex, other aneurysm localizations, laterality of the aneurysm, performing neurointerventionalist, and presence of intervention complications were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first study that examines the variables associated with the material cost of endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Awareness of which elements are important drivers of materials' costs provides a strategic advantage when making hospital administrative decisions and attempting to improve access to endovascular treatment in countries of low income.

Japanese Surveillance of Neuroendovascular Therapy in JR-NET - Part II. Japanese Registry of NeuroEndovascular Treatment 3. Main Report

This study, following Japanese Registry of NeuroEndovascular Treatment 1 and 2 (JR-NET 1 & 2), shows an annual trend of cases including adverse events and clinical outcomes at 30 days after NET. JR-NET3 was registered by 749 cumulative total number of physicians, certified by the Japanese Society of Neuroendovascular Therapy in 166 centers, between 2010 and 2014. Medical information about the patients was anonymized and retrospectively registered through a website. A total of 40,177 patients were recruited, 632 patients were excluded because data of preprocedural status were not available. So we analyzed 39,545 patients retrospectively. The proportion of octogenarians is increasing year-by-year and 14.7% in 2014 compared with 10.4% in 2010. Most frequent target disease is intracranial aneurysm. For the proportion of the treatment of intracranial aneurysm, 50.0% in 2010, but that has decreased to 44.8% in 2014. However, number of procedures were increased from 3150 in 2010 to 3419 in 2014. Although before the positive clinical evidence of mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) was established, the proportion of endovascular treatment for AIS increased 13.8% in 2014 compared with 6.3% in 2010. The number of patients requiring neuroendovascular treatment in Japan is increasing since 2010–2013, but that declined a little in 2014 caused by study operation suspended at the end of 2013. The outcomes of such therapy are clinically acceptable. Details of each type of treatment will be investigated in sub-analyses of the database.