Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 7, 2025
From a 2DE-Gel Spot to Protein Function: Lesson Learned From HS1 in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Published on: October 19, 2014
Healthcare Utilization and Comorbidity in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Emelie C Rotbain1,2,3,4,5, Klaus Rostgaard3,5, Michael A Andersen2,3
1Department of Hematology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Insights
Healthcare utilization significantly increases after a chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) diagnosis, especially with existing comorbidities. This highlights the broader health implications beyond CLL itself.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Public Health
Background:
- Age-related comorbidity is common in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
- Understanding healthcare utilization patterns in CLL is crucial for patient management.
- Current data on healthcare needs for CLL patients are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate current healthcare utilization patterns in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients.
- To analyze healthcare use before and after CLL diagnosis and first-line treatment.
- To stratify utilization based on comorbidity burden and fitness status.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Danish nation-wide registers for a cohort of 9170 CLL patients (1997-2018).
- Examined healthcare utilization: hospital admissions, bed days, out-patient visits, ER visits, and prescriptions.
- Employed multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, and calendar year.
Main Results:
- Healthcare utilization increased significantly post-CLL diagnosis for all patient groups.
- In the year after diagnosis, 39% were hospitalized, 16% visited ER, 88% had out-patient visits, and 93% received prescriptions.
- Higher comorbidity burden correlated with increased utilization across all healthcare types, excluding hematology contacts.
Conclusions:
- CLL diagnosis may reveal underlying conditions and worsen existing comorbidities.
- The health implications of CLL extend beyond the direct disease impact.
- Findings can inform multidisciplinary care planning for cancer patients.
Purpose:
Age-related comorbidity is highly prevalent in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The purpose of this study was to provide information on current patterns of healthcare utilization in CLL.
Patients And Methods:
We used data from Danish nation-wide registers to study healthcare utilization the year before and the year after CLL diagnosis and in relation to first-line treatment. Patients diagnosed with CLL between 1997 and 2018 were included and stratified on number of comorbidities, presence of specific comorbidities, and fitness status, respectively. Healthcare utilization was studied in terms of hospital admissions, in-hospital bed days, out-patient visits, emergency room visits, and prescription drugs. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, and calendar year.
Results:
The study comprised 9170 patients with CLL with a median age of 71 years, of whom 35% had ≥1 comorbidity. Healthcare utilization increased markedly upon CLL diagnosis both in patients with and without comorbidities. During the year after CLL diagnosis, 39% were hospitalized, 16% visited an emergency room, 88% visited an out-patient clinic, and 93% received prescription drugs. Both individual comorbidities and the total number of comorbidities were associated with increased healthcare utilization of all types, except for contacts to hematological departments.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that CLL diagnosis may unveil incipient diseases and aggravate comorbidities and thereby have considerably wider health implications than those directly related to CLL. These findings may be used by clinicians and decisions makers to guide planning of multidisciplinary care for cancer patients.
More Related Videos
11:29HPLC-based Assay to Monitor Extracellular Nucleotide/Nucleoside Metabolism in Human Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells
Published on: July 20, 2016
09:02Immunoglobulin Gene Sequence Analysis In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: From Patient Material To Sequence Interpretation
Published on: November 26, 2018
Related Concept Videos
01:27Disorders of Leukocytes
Leukopenia may result from bone marrow disorders, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. For example, conditions such as multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia can impair the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate leukocytes. Similarly, autoimmune diseases like lupus and viral infections such as HIV can prompt the immune...
01:15Secondary Lymphoid Organs
The spleen is a vital organ in the lymphatic system, nestled in the upper left side of the abdomen. It is composed of two primary regions: the red pulp and the white pulp, each having distinct functions. The red pulp performs a significant role in blood filtration. It efficiently purges the blood of old or damaged red blood cells and...
01:25Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
01:16Primary Lymphoid Organs
The red bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue nestled in the interior of long bones such as the humerus and femur. It is the site...
01:18Lymphoid Cells and Tissues
Lymphoid cells consist of various types of immune system cells. These include B and T lymphocytes, which are responsible for producing antibodies and killing infected cells, respectively. Dendritic cells act as messengers between the innate and adaptive...
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History