Cost of Illness of Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Morocco: A Multicentric Retrospective Observational Study

Worldwide, lung cancer is the first leading cancer and the major cause of death among the cancerous population. It is also a highly expensive disease, placing a significant economic burden on patients, healthcare systems, and society. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the economic burden of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) in Morocco, including both direct and indirect costs.

A retrospective multicentric observational study was conducted in 6 public hospitals and 6 private centers. Data were retrieved from patients' medical records and analyzed using SPSS v23.0 software.

The study included 150 patients with mNSCLC from a total of 12 public and private hospitals in Morocco. Chemotherapy was prescribed for 114 patients (75.3%). Targeted therapy and immunotherapy were prescribed for 63 patients (42%) and 42 patients (28%), respectively. Total annual direct cost per patient were in median $18 154.64, with minimum and maximum costs of $1073.70 to $169 613.78, respectively. The annual indirect cost related to productivity loss was in median $2800.00. Significant factors that were associated with total direct medical costs included histological type, hospital type, hospitalization, and type of systemic therapy used.

Treatment of mNSCLC in Morocco has changed over the last couple of years as new treatment options, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have emerged, quickly becoming the Standard of Care in this indication. Consequently, it might be time to adjust the allocated healthcare budget into lung cancer funding with the aim to improve and prolong the life of patients with mNSCLC in Morocco.