A Retrospective Study of Resource Utilisation in the Treatment of Advanced Colorectal Cancer in Europe

Abstract

An estimation of resource utilisation in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer has been carried out by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. Data on resource utilisation were collected retrospectively from 10 European centres, examining 20 consecutive patient files in each centre. Data from eight centres are reported in this paper. 160 patients were included in the sample, followed up for a median of 530 days. All patients were hospitalised and almost all underwent surgery. Fifty-four per cent received chemotherapy, and most visited the hospital as an outpatient. Including hospital stay and outpatient visits, patients spent almost 10% of their time in hospital or associated travelling. The most common diagnostic tests were chest X-ray, electrocardiogram and abdomen ultrasound. There was considerable variation between hospitals in resource utilisation, both within and between countries. Surgical procedures, chemotherapy, hospitalisation, diagnostic tests and outpatient visits are major cost determinants in the treatment of colorectal cancer. The variation in resource utilisation suggests that efficiency could be improved.