Costs associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patient treatment in a Canadian integrated cancer care center

Inpatient treatment of relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL): A health economic perspective

INTRODUCTION

Patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL) require highly individualized therapies. Limited information exists regarding inpatient treatment patterns, outcomes, resource-use, and costs from the perspective of third-party payers in Germany. The aim of this study was to collect and evaluate routine inpatient care data to fill aforementioned gaps.

METHODS

Retrospective single center observational study in a German tertiary teaching hospital. Data were collected from patient records, the hospital-pharmacy database, and claims data.

RESULTS

Eighty-four patients (47 male; mean age at initial diagnosis, 59 years) were identified and grouped by treatment line (L): 2L (n = 78), 3L (n = 32), and >3L (n = 12). Prescribed treatments in 2L were chemotherapy 56%, auto-SCT 31%, allo-SCT 1%, other 12%; 3L: 50%, 16%, 6%, 28%, respectively, and >3L: 42%, 0%, 33%, 25%, respectively. Mean number of hospital admissions and length of inpatient stay (days) were: 2L (4, 44), 3L (2, 26), and >3L (5, 63). Average cost/patient: 2L = 44,750€, 3L = 32,589€ and >3L = 88,668€. Mean treatment costs per patient for stem-cell-transplanted patients were 55,468€ for autologous SCT (n = 28) and 131,264€ for allogeneic SCT (n = 7). Documented death was 21%, 28%, and 41% for 2L, 3L, and >3L, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Individualized DLBCL treatment in patients ≥ 2L is costly and results in a huge variability in resource consumption. The number of documented deaths and length of hospitalization signal a high economic burden on patients and families. A multicenter comprehensive evaluation of health and economic burdens of r/r DLBCL and linkage with other data sources (eg, registries, payers' claims data) is essential.

Cost drivers associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in Japan: A structural equation model (SEM) analysis

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of increasing prevalence in Japan. However, patients with relapsed or refractory disease to first line treatment (rrDLBCL) have been found to shoulder greater economic burden and have poor survival with subsequent lines of therapy. The relative impact of individual patient attributes on total medical cost among patients with rrDLBCL receiving second or third line (2L/3L) therapy was assessed. Structural equation modelling was used to identify potential cost drivers of total medical costs incurred by treatment and procedures in a Japanese retrospective claims database. From the database, rrDLBCL patients on 2L or 3L of treatment were grouped into respective cohorts. The mean [median] (SD) total medical cost of care for the 2L cohort was 73,296.40 [58,223.11] (58,409.79) US dollars (USD) and 75,238.35 [60,477.31] (59,583.66) USD for the 3L cohort. The largest total effect on medical cost in both cohorts was length of hospital stay (LOS) (β: 0.750 [95%CI: 0.728, 0.772] vs β: 0.762 [95%CI: 0.729, 0.794]). Length of hospital stay and potential heart disease complications due to line of treatment were the primary drivers of total cost for patients who had received at least 2L or 3L therapy for rrDLBCL.

Bibliometric analysis of cancer care operations management: current status, developments, and future directions

Around the world, cancer care services are facing many operational challenges. Operations management research can provide important solutions to these challenges, from screening and diagnosis to treatment. In recent years, the growth in the number of papers published on cancer care operations management (CCOM) indicates that development has been fast. Within this context, the objective of this research was to understand the evolution of CCOM through a comprehensive study and an up-to-date bibliometric analysis of the literature. To achieve this aim, the Web of Science Core Collection database was used as the source of bibliographic records. The data-mining and quantitative tools in the software Biblioshiny were used to analyze CCOM articles published from 2010 to 2021. First, a historical analysis described CCOM research, the sources, and the subfields. Second, an analysis of keywords highlighted the significant developments in this field. Third, an analysis of research themes identified three main directions for future research in CCOM, which has 11 evolutionary paths. Finally, this paper discussed the gaps in CCOM research and the areas that require further investigation and development.

Nationwide claims database analysis of treatment patterns, costs and survival of Japanese patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Limited data are available regarding treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), treatment costs and clinical outcomes for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in Japan. This retrospective database study analyzed the Medical Data Vision database for DLBCL patients who received treatment during the identification period from October 1 2008 to December 31 2017. Among 6,965 eligible DLBCL patients, 5,541 patients (79.6%) received first-line (1L) rituximab (R)-based therapy, and then were gradually switched to chemotherapy without R in subsequent lines of therapy. In each treatment regimen, 1L treatment cost was the highest among all lines of therapy. The major cost drivers i.e. total direct medical costs until death or censoring across all regimens and lines of therapy were from the 1L regimen and inpatient costs. During the follow-up period, DLBCL patients who received a 1L R-CHOP regimen achieved the highest survival rate and longest time-to-next-treatment, with a relatively low mean treatment cost due to lower inpatient healthcare resource utilization and fewer lines of therapy compared to other 1L regimens. Our retrospective analysis of clinical practices in Japanese DLBCL patients demonstrated that 1L treatment and inpatient costs were major cost contributors and that the use of 1L R-CHOP was associated with better clinical outcomes at a relatively low mean treatment cost.

Cost burden of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Introduction: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma and is a clinically heterogeneous disease. Treatment pathways for DLBCL are diverse and integrate established and novel therapies.Areas covered: We review the cost burden of DLBCL and the cost-effectiveness of DLBCL management including precision and cellular medicine. We utilized Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms and keywords to search the National Library of Medicine online MEDLINE database (PubMed) for articles related to cost, cost burden, and cost-of-illness of DLBCL and cost-effectiveness of DLBCL management strategies published in English as of June 2019.Expert commentary: Available and developing DLBCL therapies offer improved outcomes and often curative treatment at considerable financial expense, and the total cost burden for DLBCL management is substantial for patients and the healthcare system. In the era of personalized medicine, CAR T cells and targeted therapies provide exciting avenues for current and future DLBCL care and can further increase treatment cost. Determinations of cost and cost-effectiveness in DLBCL treatment pathways should continue to guide care providers and systems in identifying cost reduction strategies to provide appropriate therapies to the greatest number of patients in treating DLBCL.

A micro-costing evaluation of lobectomy by thoracotomy versus thoracoscopy

Background

Two surgical strategies called video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery (VATS) and thoracotomy are used for lobectomy following lung cancer diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the total cost of each technique (thoracotomy and VATS) during hospitalization in France.

Methods

A micro-costing methodology from the hospital perspective was implemented to assess the hospitalization costs, using direct observations, interviews, and data collection based on medical records in four hospitals. The average real cost of each technique was compared.

Results

From the hospital perspective, VATS was more expensive than thoracotomy but the difference was not significant (€6,941.30 vs. €5,950.11).

Conclusions

According to this micro-costing study, thoracotomy seems to be the less expensive technique for the hospital. Our data will be included in a cost-utility analysis to assess the medico-economic impact of the VATS strategy.

Real-world costing analysis for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in British Columbia

Introduction

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (dlbcl) accounts for 30%-40% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Approximately 60% of patients are cured with standard treatment. Targeted treatments are being investigated and might improve disease outcomes; however, their effect on cancer drug budgets will be significant. For the present study, we conducted an analysis of real-world costs for dlbcl patients treated in British Columbia, useful for health care system planning.

Methods

Patient records from a retrospective cohort of patients diagnosed with dlbcl in British Columbia during 2004-2013 were anonymously linked across multiple administrative data sources: systemic therapy, radiotherapy, hospitalizations, oncologist services, outpatient medications, and fee-for-service physician services. Using generalized linear modelling regression, time-dependent costs (in 2015 Canadian dollars) were estimated in 6-month intervals over a 5-year period. The inverse probability weighting method was applied to account for censored observations. Nonparametric bootstrapping was used to estimate standard errors for the mean cost at each time interval.

Results

The cohort consisted of 678 patients (5-year overall survival: 67%). Mean age at diagnosis was 64 ± 14 years; median follow-up was 3.2 years. Mean total cost of care was highest in the first 6 months after diagnosis ($29,120; 95% confidence interval: $28,986 to $29,170) and after disease progression ($18,480; 95% confidence interval: $15,187 to $24,772). Systemic therapy and hospitalization costs were the largest cost drivers. At each time interval, costs were observed to be positively skewed.

Conclusions

Our results depict real-world costs for the treatment of dlbcl patients with standard chop-r therapy. Cost-model parameters are also provided for economic modelling of dlbcl interventions.

Resource Use and costs of End-Of-Life/Palliative Care: Ontario Adult Cancer Patients Dying during 2002 and 2003

The objective of this study is to estimate the direct medical cost of end-of-life and palliative (EOL/PAL) care for cancer patients during the last six months of their lives — or, during the period from diagnosis to death, if briefer — in 2002 and 2003, in Ontario, Canada. A linkage of cancer registry and administrative data is used to determine the costs of health care resources used during the EOL/PAL care period. Costs are analyzed by cancer diagnosis, location of death, and type of service. The total Ontario Ministry of Health-funded cost of EOL/PAL care for cancer patients is estimated to be about CAD$544 million per year, with an average per patient cost of about $25,000 in 2002–2003. Our results suggest that acute care consumes 75 percent of EOL/PAL funding and that only a small proportion of health care services used by EOL/PAL care cancer patients is likely to be formal palliative care.

Treatment cost and life expectancy of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL): a discrete event simulation model on a UK population-based observational cohort

BACKGROUND

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the commonest non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Previous studies examining the cost of treating DLBCL have generally focused on a specific first-line therapy alone; meaning that their findings can neither be extrapolated to the general patient population nor to other points along the treatment pathway. Based on empirical data from a representative population-based patient cohort, the objective of this study was to develop a simulation model that could predict costs and life expectancy of treating DLBCL.

METHODS

All patients newly diagnosed with DLBCL in the UK's population-based Haematological Malignancy Research Network ( www.hmrn.org ) in 2007 were followed until 2013 (n = 271). Mapped treatment pathways, alongside cost information derived from the National Tariff 2013/14, were incorporated into a patient-level simulation model in order to reflect the heterogeneities of patient characteristics and treatment options. The NHS and social services perspective was adopted, and all outcomes were discounted at 3.5 % per annum.

RESULTS

Overall, the expected total medical costs were £22,122 for those treated with curative intent, and £2930 for those managed palliatively. For curative chemotherapy, the predicted medical costs were £14,966, £23,449 and £7376 for first-, second- and third-line treatments, respectively. The estimated annual cost for treating DLBCL across the UK was around £88-92 million.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first cost modelling study using empirical data to provide 'real world' evidence throughout the DLBCL treatment pathway. Future application of the model could include evaluation of new technologies/treatments to support healthcare decision makers, especially in the era of personalised medicine.

A Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Brentuximab Vedotin in Relapsed or Refractory Systemic Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of brentuximab vedotin in patients with R/R sALCL from a UK NHS perspective. Methods: A partitioned survival model used clinical outcomes for brentuximab vedotin from the pivotal phase-2 single-arm trial of brentuximab vedotin in 58 patients with R/R sALCL (SG035-0004; NCT00866047), over a lifetime (30-year) time horizon. Comparison with conventional chemotherapy was based on data from the Canadian British Columbia Cancer Agency registry from 40 patients starting salvage chemotherapy after front-line treatment between 1980 and 2012. Survival was extrapolated using parametric distributions, with brentuximab vedotin risk after the trial period assumed equal to conventional chemotherapy. Other modelling assumptions were based on a systematic literature review and clinical expert opinion. Results: Based on statistical extrapolation, brentuximab vedotin was associated with 3.1 years longer duration in the progression-free survival health state and an overall survival improvement of 5.4 years, prior to discounting. In addition, brentuximab vedotin was associated with 2.5 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained at a total incremental cost of £88 556, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of approximately £35 400. Sensitivity analyses of alternative model assumptions provided ICERs ranging from approximately £28 100 to £61 900. Comparing only first-line salvage patients reduced the ICER to £26 800 per QALY gained. Conversely, considering only patients with Eastern Corporative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 increased the ICER to approximately £38 200. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of £50 000, the estimated probability that brentuximab vedotin is cost-effective compared with conventional chemotherapy was 86.5%. Conclusion: Compared to conventional chemotherapy, and considering the full survival period, brentuximab vedotin may provide a valuable treatment choice for patients with R/R sALCL, a population with limited therapeutic options.

Gemcitabine/dexamethasone/cisplatin vs cytarabine/dexamethasone/cisplatin for relapsed or refractory aggressive-histology lymphoma: cost-utility analysis of NCIC CTG LY.12

BACKGROUND

The NCIC CTG LY.12 study showed that gemcitabine, dexamethasone, and cisplatin (GDP) were noninferior to dexamethasone, cytarabine, and cisplatin (DHAP) in patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive histology lymphoma prior to autologous stem cell transplantation. We conducted an economic evaluation from the perspective of the Canadian public healthcare system based on trial data.

METHODS

The primary outcome was an incremental cost utility analysis comparing costs and benefits associated with GDP vs DHAP. Resource utilization data were collected from 519 Canadian patients in the trial. Costs were presented in 2012 Canadian dollars and disaggregated to highlight the major cost drivers of care. Benefit was measured as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) based on utilities translated from prospectively collected quality-of-life data. All statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS

The mean overall costs of treatment per patient in the GDP and DHAP arms were $19 961 (95% confidence interval (CI) = $17 286 to $24 565) and $34 425 (95% CI = $31 901 to $39 520), respectively, with an incremental difference in direct medical costs of $14 464 per patient in favor of GDP (P < .001). The predominant cost driver for both treatment arms was related to hospitalizations. The mean discounted quality-adjusted overall survival with GDP was 0.161 QALYs and 0.152 QALYs for DHAP (difference = 0.01 QALYs, P = .146). In probabilistic sensitivity analysis, GDP was associated with both cost savings and improved quality-adjusted outcomes compared with DHAP in 92.6% of cost-pair simulations.

CONCLUSIONS

GDP was associated with both lower costs and similar quality-adjusted outcomes compared with DHAP in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma. Considering both costs and outcomes, GDP was the dominant therapy.

Importance of Expert Central Review in the Diagnosis of Lymphoid Malignancies in a Regional Cancer Network

Purpose

The accurate diagnosis of hematologic malignancies remains a challenging area for histopathologists. In 2003, the North Central London Lymphoma network was established to provide a centralized expert review service for general histopathologists based in peripheral nonspecialist hospitals. By studying samples sent for review, we sought to assess the diagnostic and clinical impact of centralized expert review in lymphoma diagnosis.

Methods

A total of 1,949 patient samples were subject to expert review between 2003 and 2008. Diagnostic discordance rates were identified after expert review, and the impact on patient management was assessed by a hematologic oncology specialist.

Results

An overall discordance rate of 27.3% was identified. Among the 10 most commonly referred lymphoid malignancies, the discordance rate varied between 3.6% and 34.1%. A small but significant number of reactive (n = 17) and malignant (n = 5) discordant diagnoses were also identified. Expert central review resulted in a major change to patient management in 2.1% of patients and prevented delays in treatment in 9.3% of patients. During the 6-year study, the discordance rate improved significantly, decreasing from 32% to 13%. Although centralized review incurred additional costs, these were relatively small compared with the costs associated with treatment.

Conclusion

This retrospective study demonstrates the importance of expert central review in the accurate diagnosis and timely management of lymphoid malignancies. Furthermore, it shows that where full centralization of services is not viable, a network comprising nonspecialist hospitals linked to a center providing expert review is a practical alternative to full unification of services at a single location and can help prevent local deskilling.

Cost-effectiveness of the addition of rituximab to CHOP chemotherapy in first-line treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a population-based observational cohort in British Columbia, Canada

BACKGROUND

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has primarily been treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and predisone (CHOP) chemotherapy since the 1970s. Recently, the addition of rituximab to CHOP (CHOP-R) has been found to improve survival and trial-based results have suggested that it is a cost-effective alternative to CHOP.

OBJECTIVES

The objective in this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of CHOP-R relative to CHOP in first-line treatment of DLBCL in a population-based setting in British Columbia, Canada.

METHODS

We created a patient-level simulation model describing potential pathways for DLBCL patients initiating treatment with either CHOP or CHOP-R. Model parameters were populated with statistical analyses of individual-level treatment and effectiveness data and published cost estimates. All results were stratified by age at treatment initiation (<60 years vs. ≥60 years). The base-case scenario was based on a 15-year time horizon and a 3% discount rate. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed. All costs are reported as 2006 $CDN.

RESULTS

For the base-case scenario, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for younger individuals ranged from $11,965 per disease-free life-year gained to $19,144 per quality-adjusted life-year gained. For older individuals, estimated ICERs for all health outcomes were below $10,000 per unit outcome gained for a 15-year time horizon.

CONCLUSIONS

Using population-based data, CHOP-R was found to be a cost-effective alternative to CHOP, particularly for individuals aged 60 years and older. Results from this Canadian observational data source were consistent with international clinical trial-based studies. The use of CHOP-R as a first-line treatment for DLBCL is recommended, with respect to both clinical and cost-effectiveness.

Rituximab in the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, focus on outcomes and comparative effectiveness

Rituximab is an important and well established component in the treatment of many patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In this paper we review recent clinical trials investigating the addition of rituximab to standard chemotherapy regimens for treatment of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. This report focuses upon treatment efficacy, quality of life, and safety of rituximab or rituximab-containing regimens. More uniquely, we review economic aspects of lymphoma treatments, including the cost of standard chemotherapy regimens with or without rituximab, cost effectiveness of rituximab in both induction and maintenance treatment, and lymphoma's impacts on patient's productivity and their caregivers. We conclude that adding rituximab to standard chemotherapy treatment for patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma is safe and cost-effective in numerous settings during both induction and maintenance therapies. Despite extensive review of the literature, many important questions have yet to be answered in the rituximab era and these represent important directions for future study.