[Prostate cancer: medicoeconomic aspects]. / Cancer de la prostate: aspects médicoéconomiques.

Prostate cancer is the first cancer in men. Its incidence is constantly increasing. The significant evolution of diagnostic and therapeutic means during the two last decades contrasts with the scarcity of medicoeconomic studies. The aim of this review is to present a synthesis of the different studies published and to respond to questions about the economic aspects of this disease, with the evaluation of its direct and indirect costs. The cost-effectiveness and the benefits of the prevention and the screening are still being studied. The costs of the surgery and the radiotherapy are roughly similar. The new surgical techniques, especially the laparoscopic and the robotic surgeries, are not necessarily associated with higher costs, in condition of a high-volume laparoscopic surgery program and a faster discharge. The indirect costs of prostate cancer concern the loss of economic production associated with the disease and death and are more difficult to determine.

[The effects of a demographic risk on saving]. / Les effets d'un risque demographique sur l'epargne.

PIP: The authors examine whether uncertainty about future demographic developments will cause changes in savings rates under different types of pension systems, all other things being equal. Countries in which pensions are funded by current contributions from the working population may face crises if sustained lower fertility and demographic aging lead to a shrinking labor force available to support a growing population of pensioners. If, however, individuals increase their savings in anticipation that pensions may be reduced due to unfavorable demographic circumstances, the introduction of pension funds and fiscal policies to encourage savings may be less necessary. An overlapping generation model with uncertain population growth rates is utilized. The models consider both fixed and adjustable pensions. The elements of the model are presented, and an example is described to illustrate the idea that precautionary behavior of individuals, a recently developed concept of microeconomic theory, is insufficient by itself to determine the influence of an increase in uncertainty on savings. The idea is then presented in more general terms. Possible shortcomings of the approach, which should be considered in future research, are identified.^ieng