The costs of acromegaly management in Poland - analysis from one centre

The analysis of the costs associated with treating acromegaly and its complications is important in planning diagnostics and treatment for a single patient, as well as in establishing the standard of care for the entire population of acromegaly patients. Data on the actual costs of treating patients with acromegaly in Poland are limited.

To determine the direct cost (hospital stays, diagnostic imaging, surgical treatment, pharmacotherapy, tumour irradiation) of treating patients with acromegaly and its complications, assessing the relationship between acromegaly treatment costs and the radical nature of the treatment.

A retrospective analysis of medical records was carried out in 124 patients with acromegaly who were hospitalised in the Department of Endocrinology in 2011-2016, including a group of 39 patients who were successfully operated on, 73 patients requiring treatment with a somatostatin analogue, and 12 patients with newly diagnosed disease. The costs of surgical procedures, hospitalisation, diagnostic tests, and the cost of pharmacological treatment of acromegaly and its complications were analysed and estimated based on the system of homogeneous groups of patients.

The mean total annual cost of acromegaly treatment was PLN 43,419 (EUR 9731). The mean annual cost of treating patients undergoing effective neurosurgical treatment was lower than in the other groups, and the costs of pharmacological and surgical treatment of complications of acromegaly were also lower. The costs of hospitalisation and additional diagnostic tests were highest in patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly.

Treatment with somatostatin analogues is the major cost factor in patients requiring chronic therapy. Effective radical neurosurgical treatment reduces the incidence of chronic complications of acromegaly and lowers the overall treatment costs.