Healthcare Utilization and Costs Associated with Different Treatment Protocols for Newly Diagnosed Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Population-Based Study

• Published in: Blood 2020-11, Vol.136 (Supplement 1), p.46-47
• Main Authors: Gupta, Sumit, Mittman, Nicole, Pechlivanoglou, Petros, Li, Qing, Athale, Uma, Bassal, Mylene, Breakey, Vicky R., Gibson, Paul J., Silva, Mariana, Zabih, Veda, Pole, Jason, Sutradhar, Rinku
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood-2020-136365

BACKGROUND: Though cooperative trial groups use different treatment protocols for newly diagnosed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), all achieve high cure rates. The healthcare utilization and costs associated with different treatment strategies have not been rigorously compared. Minimizing utilization and costs may increase quality of life and decrease health system burden. We compared Children's Oncology Group (COG) and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI)-based treatment. METHODS: We identified all children diagnosed with ALL in pediatric cancer centers in Ontario, Canada between 2002 and 2012 through the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario Networked Information System (POGONIS), a provincial pediatric cancer registry. Detailed data on demographics, disease risk factors (e.g. cytogenetics, minimal residual disease), treatment (e.g. treatment protocol, start and end date of each therapy phase) and events (relapse/progression, death, second cancer) were captured via chart abstraction. Treatment protocols were categorized as either based on COG or DFCI trials. Linkage to population-based health services databases identified all outpatient and emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and physician billings. Healthcare utilization-associated costs were determined through validated costing algorithms. Chemotherapy-associated costs were calculated separately using local prices. All administered doses of asparaginase (ASNase), including E. Coli, PEG-ASNase, and Erwinia ASNase were recorded. Event-free survival (EFS), overall survival (OS), healthcare utilization rates, and costs were compared between COG and DFCI-treated patients while adjusting for demographics and disease-factors using appropriate regression models. Healthcare-associated costs, ASNase costs, and total chemotherapy costs (2018 Canadian dollars) were compared. RESULTS: The study cohort included 802 patients, 146 (18.2%) of whom were treated on DFCI-based protocols. Median follow-up did not differ between between COG and DFCI patients; nor did EFS or OS. When adjusted for all demographic and disease-related variables, COG patients experienced significantly higher rates of ED visits [rate ratio (RR) 1.3, 95% confidence interval (95CI) 1.1-1.5; p=0.01]. Neither hospitalization rates nor rates of inpatient days differed between the two groups of patients. However, rates of outpatient visits were 60% higher among DFCI patients (RR 1.6, 95CI 1.5-1.7; p