New research has shed light on the treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and costs associated with patients who have diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and did not undergo stem cell transplantation as a second-line treatment between 2009 and 2020. The study, published in Future Oncology, analyzed DLBCL claims data from the administrative MarketScan database.
The findings revealed that among a cohort of 750 patients, 86.8% received the R-CHOP regimen as their first-line therapy. Hospitalization was prevalent, with an average of 16.5 hospital days per patient per year (PPPY). The mean medical and pharmacy costs for DLBCL patients were $141,532 PPPY, with DLBCL-related claims being the primary cost driver. Furthermore, most patients did not continue treatment beyond the second-line therapy, and the median duration of both first and second-line therapies was 4.1 months.
Despite recent advancements in DLBCL therapy, the study highlights that treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL is resource-intensive and costly. The researchers emphasized the need for more effective therapy options to reduce the clinical and economic burden associated with this patient population. However, it is important to note that the study had limitations, such as the lack of coding for DLBCL-related drug costs and the unavailability of relevant clinical factors and demographic information, which may impact the generalizability of the results.
