Hematologic Cancer Progression Increases Health Care Costs

Delaying cancer progression was associated with substantially reduced health care costs in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to a study published in The Oncologist. 

“New treatments that delay disease progression in patients with hematologic cancer could have a significant impact on the economic burden of hematologic malignancies,” researchers wrote. 

The retrospective study used administrative claims data from commercial and Medicare Advantage enrollees with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma to estimate and compare costs among patients with and without disease progression. The analysis spanned 1056 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 514 patients with acute myeloid leukemia, and 7601 patients with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma who had systemic antineoplastic agent use between July 2006 and August 2014. 

Among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, adjusted and unadjusted 12-month average healthcare costs were significantly higher in those with evidence of disease progression, researchers reported. The high mortality rate in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, researchers reasoned, was likely why 12-month healthcare costs were not significantly different between progressors and nonprogressors with that type of cancer.

“Almost half of the patients with acute myeloid leukemia with progression died over the course of 12 months,” they wrote, “and thus were no longer accruing costs.” 

Meanwhile, per-patient-per-month costs were nearly double among patients with disease progression for all three cancer types, the study found. The longer cancer progression was delayed, the lower the overall healthcare costs. 

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia were most likely to show evidence of disease progression over 12 months. Among participants with acute myeloid leukemia, 63.8% progressed, compared with 31.1% of those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and 36.9% of those with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to the study.  

—Jolynn Tumolo

Reference

Reyes C, Engel-Nitz NM, DaCosta Byfield S, et al. Cost of disease progression in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Oncologist. 2019;24(9):1219-1228.