Cost of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in four diseases

Economic burden of acute myeloid leukemia: a literature review

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective was to examine the economic burden associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a deadly hematological malignancy. AML is the most common form of acute leukemia in adults, particularly in individuals over 60 years of age; AML also accounts for 15-20% of childhood leukemia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review was conducted of relevant studies published in the English language. Economic analyses of AML published between 1990 and 2002 were identified from electronic data sources using broad search criteria. Additional studies were obtained by manual searches of bibliographies of articles identified in the electronic searches. Articles were screened for relevance and included if the main theme included some element of AML cost of treatment, cost drivers, or cost-effectiveness. Studies reporting only drug prices without a formal comparison or analysis were not included.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine studies were included in the review. Although information was limited on the comprehensive economic burden of AML from a societal perspective, the costs appear to be split equally between direct and indirect costs. Direct costs of AML from a public payer perspective were available for a few countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, US (Medicare), and Italy. These studies found that the key cost drivers appear to be hospitalization length of stay related to initial chemotherapy, relapse of disease, and bone marrow transplant (BMT) and peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT). Several cost analyses have been published comparing the different treatment strategies; however, most of them were published in the early 1990s, and their analysis revolved around cost-comparison rather than comprehensive cost-effectiveness. The published studies investigated pharmacological agents (e.g., idarubicin, daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, fludarabine and combination therapies), as well as BMT, PBSCT, and the treatment of complications.

CONCLUSION

Studies addressing the economic costs and burden of AML are relatively sparse in the international literature. Possible reasons for such a lack of information appear to include the low incidence rate of AML (e.g., about 260,000 new cases were reported in 2002 in the world) and the fact that it primarily afflicts older adults >60 years of age, making broad, well-designed economic analyses a challenge for most researchers. However, due to the high cost associated with the medical procedures (e.g., BMT, PBSCT) and the aging of the world population, further research is warranted.

The burden and outcomes associated with four leukemias: AML, ALL, CLL and CML

Given the recent advances in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and the many other treatments on the horizon, physicians and payers will be faced with the critical decisions of when to use new treatments in the clinical pathway and how to allocate healthcare resources. This review will provide an overall context for the clinical, economic and quality of life burden of leukemia, as well as provide cross-analysis among the four major types of leukemia: acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia.

Economic aspects of high-dose chemotherapy: a clinician's perspective review

Over the last 15 years, the increased use of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) has led to a considerable increase in the cost of cancer treatments. After making a general economic analysis of the benefits and costs of healthcare initiatives, this paper considers all of the different phases and elements of HDC, as well as the strategies for reducing basic, indirect and out-of-pocket costs. The cost of HDC has decreased by 40-60% over the last decade and its cost-effectiveness ratios are now similar or only slightly higher than those of other widely accepted medical interventions. However, except in the case of some hematological and paediatric neoplasms, the efficacy of the treatment has not yet been clearly defined and so it should only be used in well-designed clinical trials that should also include prospective cost evaluation measures.

Randomized trial of bone marrow versus lenograstim-primed blood cell allogeneic transplantation in patients with early-stage leukemia: a report from the Société Française de Greffe de Moelle

PURPOSE

To compare hematologic recovery in patients receiving allogeneic blood cell transplantation (BCT) with those receiving allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred eleven patients with leukemia in the early stages and with HLA-matched sibling donors were randomized in this study. One hundred one underwent transplantation. Standard procedures for collection and transplantation were used. Patients did not receive prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor after undergoing transplantation. In addition to clinical end points being established, a prospective and comparative economic evaluation of the first 6 months after transplantation was performed.

RESULTS

Groups were balanced for patient, donor, and transplant characteristics. Blood cell collection led to the collection of a higher number of CD34(+) and CD3(+) cells than did bone marrow collection (P < 10(-6)) without reported side effects for the donor. Patients in the BCT group reached platelet counts of 25 and 50 x 10(9) platelets/L 8 and 11 days earlier than did the BMT group (P < 10(-4) and P < 10(-5)), respectively. This resulted in fewer platelet transfusions during the first 180 days after transplantation (P =.002) for the former group. The time to reach neutrophil counts of 0.5 and 1 x 10(9) neutrophils/L was 6 and 7 days shorter, respectively, in the BCT group than in the BMT group (P < 10(-5)). This quicker hematologic recovery was associated with a shorter length of hospitalization and a decrease in total cost of procedure during the first 6 months.

CONCLUSION

This study establishes that allogeneic BCT results in quicker hematologic recovery but is associated with a higher occurrence of chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Predicting costs of stem-cell transplantation

PURPOSE

Few studies have formally evaluated the relationship between costs, baseline patient characteristics, and major complications of stem-cell transplantation. We sought (1) to determine whether obtaining baseline information enabled identification of patients whose treatments would be the most costly and (2) to estimate inpatient costs for managing specific transplantation complications.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We collected inpatient costs and clinical information for 236 consecutive patients undergoing transplantation at a single institution between July 1, 1994, and February 20, 1997. Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate the associations between baseline patient characteristics and costs of hospitalization for initial transplantation and between clinical events and such costs.

RESULTS

The median initial inpatient cost in 1997 dollars was $55,500 for autologous transplantation (range, $28,200 to $148,200) and $105,300 for allogeneic transplantation (range, $32,500 to $338,000). When only baseline variables were considered, use of a mismatched allogeneic donor and year of transplantation were significant predictors of costs. No characteristics predicted which patients would incur the highest 10% of costs. When clinical events were considered, infection and in-hospital death were associated with higher costs in autologous transplant recipients ($18,400 and $20,500, respectively), whereas infection, veno-occlusive disease, acute graft-versus-host disease, and death were predicted to add between $15,300 and $28,100 each to allogeneic transplantation costs.

CONCLUSION

We were not able to identify before transplantation the patients whose treatments would be the most costly. However, the association between clinical complications and higher costs suggests that prevention may have significant economic benefits. Interventions that decrease these complications may have favorable cost-benefit ratios even if they do not affect overall survival.

The true cost of bone marrow transplantation

Bone marrow transplantation is an example of a highly technical therapy that offers hope to patients with bone marrow failure or various malignancies. Bone marrow transplantation is much more costly "up-front" but perhaps not more costly long-term than alternative therapies. Although economic analyses appear relatively simple, interpretation and use can be problematic. Several economic analyses have identified complications that occur frequently and affect the reported cost-effectiveness of high-dose chemotherapy. Efforts to reduce the cost of bone marrow transplantation have focused on new strategies to more effectively control these complications. The introduction of new technologies to speed engraftment, to improve patient selection methods, and the shifting of care to outpatient settings all have resulted in significant reductions in duration of hospital stay, treatment-related mortality, and costs. More studies of long-term outcomes are needed for transplant and nontransplant treatment options to guide present and future applications of this treatment option.

A review of the costs, cost-effectiveness and third-party charges of bone marrow transplantation

In an era of health care reform, costs, cost-effectiveness and charges for health care are taking on a larger role in the decision to adopt a new therapy. Hospitals, health maintenance organizations, third-party payers, doctors and patients all have an interest in the economic factors of health care; however, not all new therapies or medications have been analyzed. Bone marrow transplantation is one of the most expensive cancer treatments, costing an average of +193,000 per patient; therefore, many economic studies have focused on the costs of the therapy. However, it is important to note that these findings are not necessarily applicable to other diseases. Cost data are not static and even small changes in protocol can make a large difference in costs. Also, cost data from outside the United States is not always applicable to the United States system due to differences such as socialized medicine, workers' wages and pharmaceutical costs. Many economic analyses focus on the hospitals' charges and extrapolate cost-effectiveness from these figures, yet the amount hospitals charge for services and products is not always relative to the costs. Therefore, third-party payer costs are also important in analyzing the cost-effectiveness of a procedure. This article will review five signature papers which illustrate important issues to consider when trying to determine the costs and cost-effectiveness of bone marrow transplants.