According to study authors, multivariable regression across four non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma subtypes demonstrated that higher hospital costs were associated with patients who were non-white, Hispanic/Latino, had Medicaid or were treated in hospitals in the Northeast or West. Findings from this study were presented at the 63rd ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition.

“Real-world data demonstrated the significantly high total hospital costs once patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients were hospitalized, with significantly higher impact to minority populations,” stated authors of the study. “Given the increased availability of effective oral therapeutics, optimal and timely disease control in the outpatients setting can potentially prevent or decrease hospitalizations and reduce economic burden on health care.”

Study participants from a US hospital included 23,952 patients with CLL, 2,655 patients with MZL, and 1,811 patients with WM. Compared to the general lymphoma cohorts, there were more men and white patients identified in the MCL cohort.

“The most common comorbidities included chronic pulmonary disease (27.1%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (17.6%), moderate-severe renal disease (16.6%), congestive heart failure (15.7%), and diabetes without chronic complications (15.2%),” stated authors.

“Overall, more than two-thirds of patients in each lymphoma group received treatment with steroids alone during hospitalizations. While the use of steroids alone was higher among whites compared to nonwhite patients (69.5% vs 60.4%), the use of chemo-immunotherapy was lower in whites compared to nonwhite patients (11.9% vs 16.2%).”

Results of the study showed that the inpatient hospitalization average length of stay (LOS) ranged from 6.3 days for patients with CLL to 7.4 days for patients with MCL. Of those patient stays the mean costs per hospitalization were from $19,566 for patients with CLL and $24,439 for patients with MCL.

Data also showed that, “Nonwhite patients have significantly longer mean LOS days compared with white patients (CLL: 18.3 vs 14.8; MCL: 21.7 vs 18.3; MZL: 21.6 vs 18.5; WM 19.0 vs 14.5).”

Authors of the study concluded, “Future studies are needed to explore the reason for admission, clinical outcomes, and potential preventive interventions.”

Reference:
Chanan-Khan A, Yang K, Liu S, et al. Real-world disease burden, costs and resource utilization of hospital-based care among mantle cell lymphoma, Waldenström macroglobulinemia, marginal zone lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leucemia: disparities and risk factors. Poster presented at: 63rd ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition; December 11-14, 2021; Atlanta, GA.