Costs and Adverse Events in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
Author Information
Author(s): Prachi Bhatt, Jared Hirsch, Paul Cockrum, George Kim, Gabriela Dieguez
Primary Institution: Milliman
Hypothesis
What is the incidence of adverse events and associated costs for different treatments of metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma?
Conclusion
Chemotherapy leading to significant adverse events is associated with higher total costs of care, regardless of drug costs.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients receiving FFX experienced adverse events at a higher rate than those receiving gem/abrax.
- Total cost of care was lower in the gem/abrax cohort despite higher chemotherapy costs.
- Mean excess costs associated with hematologic adverse events were $5993 per administration.
Takeaway
This study found that patients with pancreatic cancer who had more side effects from treatment ended up costing more overall, even if the medicine itself was cheaper.
Methodology
Retrospective analysis of Medicare claims data from 2018 to 2022 comparing three treatment cohorts for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Potential Biases
Inherent differences in patient characteristics and treatment biases may be present due to the non-randomized nature of the study.
Limitations
The study relies on administrative claims data, which may not be generalizable outside of a Medicare population and lacks clinical intent.
Participant Demographics
Average age was 69.9 years for FFX with all components, 70.4 years for FFX with no bolus, and 73.1 years for gem/abrax; 48% female.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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