Abstract
BackgroundEconomic implications of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN) in European and Australian clinical practice are largely unknown.MethodsData were obtained from a European (97%) and Australian (3%) observational study of patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) receiving CHOP (±rituximab) chemotherapy. For each patient, each cycle of chemotherapy within the course, and each occurrence of FN within cycles, was identified. Patients developing FN in a given cycle (“FN patients”), starting with the first, were matched to those who did not develop FN in that cycle (“comparison patients”), irrespective of subsequent FN events. FN-related healthcare costs (£2010) were tallied for the initial FN event as well as follow-on care and FN events in subsequent cycles.ResultsMean total cost was £5776 (95%CI £4928-£6713) higher for FN patients (n = 295) versus comparison patients, comprising £4051 (£3633-£4485) for the initial event and a difference of £1725 (£978-£2498) in subsequent cycles. Among FN patients requiring inpatient care (76% of all FN patients), mean total cost was higher by £7259 (£6327-£8205), comprising £5281 (£4810-£5774) for the initial hospitalization and a difference of £1978 (£1262-£2801) in subsequent cycles.ConclusionsCost of chemotherapy-induced FN among NHL patients in European and Australian clinical practice is substantial; a sizable percentage is attributable to follow-on care and subsequent FN events.
Highlights
Economic implications of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN) in European and Australian clinical practice are largely unknown
That this study--as well as other studies utilizing a cross-sectional design and hospital records--underestimated the total economic burden of FN, since the cost of follow-on care and subsequent FN events that may be related to the FN event were not considered
Patients enrolled prospectively included all patients for whom CHOP-14 or CHOP-21 chemotherapy was planned for administration between January 2006 and December 2008; no additional interventions were required as a result of participation in the study
Summary
Economic implications of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN) in European and Australian clinical practice are largely unknown. The mean cost of FN-related hospitalizations in the US was reported to be $8100 for patients with solid tumors, $11,600 for patients with nonHodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), and $28,000 for patients with leukemia [7]. It is likely, that this study--as well as other studies utilizing a cross-sectional design and hospital records--underestimated the total economic burden of FN, since the cost of follow-on care (e.g., postdischarge outpatient encounters) and subsequent FN events that may be related to the (initial) FN event were not considered. In a more recent US study employing a matched cohort design and considering all such costs, the economic burden of the initial FN event was estimated to represent only about 60% of the total cost of FNrelated care, suggesting that prior studies may have underestimated the mean cost of FN-related events by as much as 40% [9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
