Real-world costing analysis for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in British Columbia

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Economics
• Real-World Evidence

Background:

• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (dlbcl) represents 30-40% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, with standard treatments achieving a cure in about 60% of patients.
• Emerging targeted therapies may improve outcomes but are expected to significantly impact cancer drug budgets.
• Understanding real-world healthcare costs is crucial for effective health system planning and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the real-world costs associated with treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (dlbcl) patients in British Columbia.
• To provide cost-model parameters for economic evaluations of dlbcl interventions.
• To inform healthcare system planning regarding the financial burden of dlbcl treatment.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 678 dlbcl patients diagnosed in British Columbia (2004-2013).
• Anonymized linkage of administrative data including systemic therapy, radiotherapy, hospitalizations, and physician services.
• Generalized linear modeling and inverse probability weighting to estimate time-dependent costs over a 5-year period in 6-month intervals (2015 CAD).

Main Results:

• The mean total cost of care was highest in the initial 6 months post-diagnosis ($29,120) and following disease progression ($18,480).
• Systemic therapy and hospitalization represented the largest cost drivers throughout the treatment period.
• Costs exhibited positive skewness across all measured time intervals.

Conclusions:

• This study quantifies the real-world costs of standard CHOP-R therapy for dlbcl patients.
• The findings highlight the significant financial impact of dlbcl, particularly during initial treatment and disease relapse.
• The provided cost data and model parameters can aid future economic analyses of dlbcl interventions.