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Joshi U, Khanal S, Bhetuwal U, Bhattarai A, Dhakal P, Bhatt VR. Impact of Insurance on Overall Survival in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A SEER Database Study. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk 2022; 22:e477-e484. [PMID: 35125333 DOI: 10.1016/j.clml.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Insurance status at diagnosis remains an important barrier to health care access and adherence to treatment. Here, we aim to assess the impact of insurance status, and age on overall survival (OS) in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). MATERIALS AND METHODS Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we identified all patients younger than 65 years of age diagnosed with ALL from 2010 to 2016. OS was estimated for each group using the Kaplan Meier curves and compared based on insurance type using a log-rank test. Multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to assess the effect of insurance status on OS. RESULTS A total of 9057 patients were included in the analysis. Medicaid beneficiaries had worse 5-year OS than insured patients (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.08-1.63, P = .006) in 0-18 years age group. Despite chemotherapy, patients older than 18 years showed poor OS in all insurance categories. Patients on Medicaid showed inferior OS compared to insured in 19-40 years (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.21-1.76, P < .001) and 41-65 years age group (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09-1.49, P = .003). Interestingly, no significant difference was observed in the OS between the Medicaid and uninsured groups in each age category. CONCLUSION Our large database study demonstrates that insured status is associated with better OS in ALL across all age groups. Further studies to develop effective strategies to bridge health care disparities areessential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Utsav Joshi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY.
| | - Shital Khanal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Uttam Bhetuwal
- Department of Kidney and Hypertension, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI
| | - Adheesh Bhattarai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Prajwal Dhakal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Vijaya Raj Bhatt
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology and Hematology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
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Rotz SJ, Wei W, Thomas SM, Hanna R. Distance to treatment center is associated with survival in children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer 2020; 126:5319-5327. [PMID: 32910494 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socioeconomic and demographic categories such as income, race, insurance status, and treatment center type are associated with outcomes in acute leukemia. This study was aimed at determining whether the distance to treatment center affects overall survival for children and young adults with acute leukemia. METHODS The National Cancer Database was queried for patients 39 years old or younger who were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A backward elimination procedure was used to select final multivariate Cox models. RESULTS In total, 12,301 patients with AML and 22,683 patients with ALL were analyzed. The ALL model included distance to treatment center, Charlson-Deyo score, age, race, insurance status, and community income level. US census definitions of urban and rural were not statistically significant, and no interaction was significant for included variables. Compared with distances > 50 miles, all other distances were associated with improved survival (hazard ratio [HR] for ≤10 miles, 0.91; P = .04; HR for >10 to ≤20 miles, 0.86; P = .004; HR for >20 to ≤50 miles, 0.87; P = .005). The final model for AML included the same variables as the ALL model except for distance to treatment center, which was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS For children and young adults with ALL, distances > 50 miles are associated with inferior overall survival; however, no difference is seen for AML. Although it is unknown whether differences in survival for patients with ALL based on distance are driven by relapse or treatment-related mortality, increased attention to adherence, supportive care, and logistics for patients traveling long distances is warranted. LAY SUMMARY For children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, living more than 50 miles from the treatment center is associated with worse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth J Rotz
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Pediatric Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Stefanie M Thomas
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Pediatric Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Rabi Hanna
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Pediatric Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
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Tumin D. Commentary: Health insurance and children’s survival after cancer diagnosis: mediation or confounding? Int J Epidemiol 2020; 49:1377-1379. [DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyaa145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Tumin
- Department of Pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville NC, USA
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Wang X, Ojha RP, Partap S, Johnson KJ. The effect of insurance status on overall survival among children and adolescents with cancer. Int J Epidemiol 2020; 49:1366-1377. [DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyaa079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Differences in access, delivery and utilisation of health care may impact childhood and adolescent cancer survival. We evaluated whether insurance coverage impacts survival among US children and adolescents with cancer diagnoses, overall and by age group, and explored potential mechanisms.
Methods
Data from 58 421 children (aged ≤14 years) and adolescents (15–19 years), diagnosed with cancer from 2004 to 2010, were obtained from the National Cancer Database. We examined associations between insurance status at initial diagnosis or treatment and diagnosis stage; any treatment received; and mortality using logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards (PH) regression, restricted mean survival time (RMST) and mediation analyses.
Results
Relative to privately insured individuals, the hazard of death (all-cause) was increased and survival months were decreased in those with Medicaid [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22 to 1.33; and −1.73 months, 95% CI: −2.07 to −1.38] and no insurance (HR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.46; and −2.13 months, 95% CI: −2.91 to −1.34). The HR for Medicaid vs. private insurance was larger (pinteraction <0.001) in adolescents (HR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.41 to 1.64) than children (HR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.23). Despite statistical evidence of PH assumption violation, RMST results supported all interpretations. Earlier diagnosis for staged cancers in the Medicaid and uninsured populations accounted for an estimated 13% and 19% of the survival deficit, respectively, vs. the privately insured population. Any treatment received did not account for insurance-associated survival differences in children and adolescents with cancer.
Conclusions
Children and adolescents without private insurance had a higher risk of death and shorter survival within 5 years following cancer diagnosis. Additional research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wang
- Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rohit P Ojha
- Center for Outcomes Research, JPS Health Network, Fort Worth, TX, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Sonia Partap
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Kimberly J Johnson
- Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Tumin D, Miller R, Raman VT, Uffman JC, Tobias JD. Patterns of Health Insurance Discontinuity and Children’s Access to Health Care. Matern Child Health J 2019; 23:667-77. [DOI: 10.1007/s10995-018-2681-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Abstract
We investigated whether patterns of health insurance coverage were associated with 30-day all-cause acute care revisits after ambulatory tonsillectomy at a free-standing quaternary-care pediatric hospital. Insurance patterns were classified from past encounters as continuous private, continuous Medicaid, Medicaid-to-private change, or private-to-Medicaid change. Among 478/675 boys/girls (age 9 ± 4 years) selected for analysis, 148 (13%) had 30-day revisits, whereas 96 (8%) changed from Medicaid to private insurance, and 99 (9%) changed from private insurance to Medicaid. Revisits were most common in the private-to-Medicaid group, compared with continuous private coverage (19% vs 10%; 95% CI of difference: 1%-18%; P = .007). The private-to-Medicaid group was most likely to be overweight, have symptoms of sleep disordered breathing, and have more past clinical encounters. In multivariable analysis, the greater risk of acute care revisits among children with private-to-Medicaid change in coverage was attributable to greater comorbidity burden and past health care utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Tumin
- 1 Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,2 The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Vidya T Raman
- 1 Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,2 The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Joseph D Tobias
- 1 Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,2 The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
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Ou JY, Smits-Seemann RR, Wu YP, Wright J, Kirchhoff AC. An investigation of survivorship clinic attendance among childhood cancer survivors living in a five-state rural region. J Cancer Surviv 2018; 12:196-205. [PMID: 29185177 DOI: 10.1007/s11764-017-0658-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cancer survivorship clinics manage cancer-related health complications and are available primarily in urban areas. We examine how demographic, clinical, and geographic-based characteristics are associated with attendance at the only pediatric survivorship clinic in a largely rural, multistate region. METHODS One thousand eight hundred sixteen cancer survivors were diagnosed at age ≤ 25 from 1986 to 2005 while living in the region. Cox models incorporating death as a competing risk and generalized estimating equations calculated hazards ratios (HR) for characteristics measured at the clinic's opening. Subjects were followed from the clinic opening their first visit, death, emigration from the catchment area, or December 31, 2014. RESULTS Five percent of survivors visited the clinic. Attendance is positively associated with a leukemia or lymphoma diagnosis (HR = 3.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.72-6.78 vs CNS tumors), previous relapse (HR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.00-3.19), and residing >100 mi from the clinic (HR = 2.05, 95% CI 1.03-4.10). Survivors aged ≥ 31 years at clinic opening (HR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.07-0.54) are less likely to attend than younger survivors. Residence between 16 and 100 mi had an inverse association with attendance, although not significant. CONCLUSION Survivorship clinics are not widely attended by survivors in this catchment region. Efforts should be made to recruit survivors aged ≥ 31 and diagnosed with CNS tumors. Distance has a complex association with attendance, which could be attributed to the limited availability of preventative services in regions > 100 mi from the clinic. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS Survivors living in this catchment region may not be receiving care necessary to prevent severe late effects.
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Smits-Seemann RR, Pettit J, Li H, Kirchhoff AC, Fluchel MN. Infection-related mortality in Hispanic and non-Hispanic children with cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2017; 64:10.1002/pbc.26502. [PMID: 28436579 PMCID: PMC6719562 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.26502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hispanic children with cancer experience poorer survival than their White counterparts. Infection is a known cause of cancer-related mortality; however, little is known about the risk of infection-related death among Hispanic children with cancer. We examine the association of Hispanic ethnicity with infection-related mortality and life-threatening events among children with cancer. PROCEDURE For a cohort of all pediatric cancer patients diagnosed from 1986 to 2012 and treated at a single tertiary care center, we obtained national death records to determine all-cause mortality and infection-related mortality, as well as intensive care unit (ICU) admissions as a surrogate for life-threatening events. Cox proportional hazard models assessed all-cause mortality and infection-related mortality using ethnicity as the main independent variable. ICU admission rates were modeled using a zero-inflated Poisson regression model. Models were adjusted for gender, diagnosis year, age, residential location, and diagnosis. RESULTS Of 6,198 patients, 741 (12%) were Hispanic. Mean follow-up was 11 years (SD = 8.04). There were 1,205 deaths, with 193 attributable to infection. Differences in all-cause mortality between Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients did not reach significance (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.96-1.36). However, Hispanic patients were 68% (HR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.16-2.43) more likely to have an infection-related cause of death. Hispanic ethnicity was statistically associated with a higher rate of ICU admissions (rate ratio = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.12-1.56). CONCLUSION Hispanic pediatric cancer patients were more likely to have an infection-related death and higher rates of ICU admissions than non-Hispanic patients. Infection may be an overlooked contributor to poorer outcomes among Hispanic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochelle R. Smits-Seemann
- Department of Institutional Research and Reporting, Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | | | - Hongyan Li
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Anne C. Kirchhoff
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah,Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Mark N. Fluchel
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah,Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah,Primary Children’s Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Ou JY, Smits-Seemann RR, Kaul S, Fluchel MN, Sweeney C, Kirchhoff AC. Risk of hospitalization among survivors of childhood and adolescent acute lymphoblastic leukemia compared to siblings and a general population sample. Cancer Epidemiol 2017; 49:216-224. [PMID: 28734233 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) has a high survival rate, but cancer-related late effects in the early post-treatment years need documentation. Hospitalizations are an indicator of the burden of late effects. We identify rates and risk factors for hospitalization from five to ten years after diagnosis for childhood and adolescent ALL survivors compared to siblings and a matched population sample. METHODS 176 ALL survivors were diagnosed at ≤22 years between 1998 and 2008 and treated at an Intermountain Healthcare facility. The Utah Population Database identified siblings, an age- and sex-matched sample of the Utah population, and statewide inpatient hospital discharges. Sex- and birth year-adjusted Poisson models with Generalized Estimating Equations and robust standard errors calculated rates and rate ratios. Cox proportional hazards models identified demographic and clinical risk factors for hospitalizations among survivors. RESULTS Hospitalization rates for survivors (Rate:3.76, 95% CI=2.22-6.36) were higher than siblings (Rate:2.69, 95% CI=1.01-7.18) and the population sample (Rate:1.87, 95% CI=1.13-3.09). Compared to siblings and population comparisons, rate ratios (RR) were significantly higher for survivors diagnosed between age 6 and 22 years (RR:2.87, 95% CI=1.03-7.97 vs siblings; RR:2.66, 95% CI=1.17-6.04 vs population comparisons). Rate ratios for diagnosis between 2004 and 2008 were significantly higher compared to the population sample (RR:4.29, 95% CI=1.49, 12.32), but not siblings (RR:2.73, 95% CI=0.54, 13.68). Survivors originally diagnosed with high-risk ALL did not have a significantly higher risk than siblings or population comparators. However, high-risk ALL survivors (Hazard ratio [HR]:3.36, 95% CI=1.33-8.45) and survivors diagnosed from 2004 to 2008 (HR:9.48, 95% CI=1.93-46.59) had the highest risk compared to their survivor counterparts. CONCLUSIONS Five to ten years after diagnosis is a sensitive time period for hospitalizations in the ALL population. Survivors of childhood ALL require better long-term surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Y Ou
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84113, United States.
| | - Rochelle R Smits-Seemann
- Department of Institutional Research and Reporting, Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake City, UT 84123, United States
| | - Sapna Kaul
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States
| | - Mark N Fluchel
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States; Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Salt Lake City Primary Children's Hospital, UT 84132, United States
| | - Carol Sweeney
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States; Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, United States
| | - Anne C Kirchhoff
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84113, United States
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Acharya S, Hsieh S, Shinohara ET, DeWees T, Frangoul H, Perkins SM. Effects of Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status on Outcome in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2016; 38:350-4. [PMID: 27177145 DOI: 10.1097/MPH.0000000000000591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
With modern therapy, overall survival (OS) for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia approaches 90%. However, inferior outcomes for minority children have been reported. Data on the effects of ethnicity/race as it relates to socioeconomic status are limited. Using state cancer registry data from Texas and Florida, we evaluated the impact of neighborhood-level poverty rate and race/ethnicity on OS for 4719 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. On multivariable analysis, patients residing in neighborhoods with the highest poverty rate had a 1.8-fold increase in mortality compared with patients residing in neighborhoods with the lowest poverty rate (hazard ratio [HR], 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-2.30). Hispanic and non-Hispanic black patients also had increased risk of mortality compared with non-Hispanic white patients (Hispanic: HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.01-1.39; non-Hispanic black: HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.03-1.66). On subgroup analysis, there was a 21.7% difference in 5-year OS when comparing non-Hispanic white children living in the lowest poverty neighborhoods (5-year OS, 91.2%; 95% CI, 88.6-93.2) to non-Hispanic black children living in the highest poverty neighborhoods (5-year OS, 69.5%; 95% CI, 61.5-76.1). To address such disparities in survival, further work is needed to identify barriers to cancer care in this pediatric population.
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Kaul S, Korgenski EK, Ying J, Ng CF, Smits‐Seemann RR, Nelson RE, Andrews S, Raetz E, Fluchel M, Lemons R, Kirchhoff AC. A retrospective analysis of treatment-related hospitalization costs of pediatric, adolescent, and young adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Med 2016; 5:221-9. [PMID: 26714675 PMCID: PMC4735779 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This retrospective study examined the longitudinal hospital outcomes (costs adjusted for inflation, hospital days, and admissions) associated with the treatment of pediatric, adolescent, and young adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients between one and 26 years of age with newly diagnosed ALL, who were treated at Primary Children's Hospital (PCH) in Salt Lake City, Utah were included. Treatment and hospitalization data were retrieved from system-wide cancer registry and enterprise data warehouse. PCH is a member of the Children's Oncology Group (COG) and patients were treated on, or according to, active COG protocols. Treatment-related hospital costs of ALL were examined by computing the average annual growth rates (AAGR). Longitudinal regressions identified patient characteristics associated with costs. A total of 505 patients (46.9% female) were included. The majority of patients had B-cell lineage ALL, 6.7% had T-ALL, and the median age at diagnosis was 4 years. Per-patient, first-year ALL hospitalization costs at PCH rose from $24,197 in 1998 to $37,924 in 2012. The AAGRs were 6.1, 13.0, and 7.6% for total, pharmacy, and room and care costs, respectively. Average days (AAGR = 5.2%) and admissions (AAGR = 3.8%) also demonstrated an increasing trend. High-risk patients had 47% higher costs per 6-month period in the first 5 years from diagnosis than standard-risk patients (P < 0.001). Similarly, relapsed ALL and stem cell transplantations were associated with significantly higher costs than nonrelapsed and no transplantations, respectively (P < 0.001). Increasing treatment-related costs of ALL demonstrate an area for further investigation. Value-based interventions such as identifying low-risk fever and neutropenia patients and managing them in outpatient settings should be evaluated for reducing the hospital burden of ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jian Ying
- University of UtahSalt Lake CityUtah
| | - Christi F. Ng
- Tufts University School of MedicineBostonMassachusetts
| | | | | | | | - Elizabeth Raetz
- University of UtahSalt Lake CityUtah
- Primary Children's HospitalSalt Lake CityUtah
| | - Mark Fluchel
- University of UtahSalt Lake CityUtah
- Primary Children's HospitalSalt Lake CityUtah
| | - Richard Lemons
- University of UtahSalt Lake CityUtah
- Primary Children's HospitalSalt Lake CityUtah
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