@article{10.11648/j.ijcems.20210701.14,
  author = {Saku Torvinen and Ville Vihervaara and Tatu Miettinen and Jari Jokelainen and Melissa Bauer and Anu Marttila and Klaus Tamminen and Jonna Salonen},
  title = {Multiple Myeloma Treatments, Outcomes, and Costs of Health Care Resource Utilisation During 2009-2016, Based on Multiple Data Sources from a Hospital District in Finland},
  journal = {International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences},
  volume = {7},
  number = {1},
  pages = {21-30},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijcems.20210701.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20210701.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcems.20210701.14},
  abstract = {Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the most prevalent hematologic cancers. Treatments of MM have been improved by availability of novel therapies but require regular hospital visits and intense patient follow-up. In this real-world study, patient characteristics, first four treatment lines (1L–4L), and associated outcomes and costs were assessed among adults treated for active MM during 2009–2016 at Kymenlaakso Central Hospital, Kymsote hospital district, Finland. In addition, patient burden and travel costs were determined for the patients treated during 2015–2016. Ninety-seven patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Data were retrospectively collected from hospital’s database, medical charts, and from healthcare professionals. Treatment lines and responses were defined according to the general recommendations. The median age at diagnosis was 70.1 years. The median overall survival was 68 months. Proteasome inhibitors (PI) or immunomodulatory drugs (IM) were the most common regimen types while the utilisation of a more novel approach, the simultaneous use of PI and IM, was low across first four treatment lines. Overall response rate was 72–74% for 1L–2L and 50–56% for 3L–4L. Drug costs represented the greatest proportion of total healthcare costs and increased in the later treatment lines. Patients receiving infusion treatments had specialised health care visits twice as much the patients treated with oral treatments. Furthermore, travel costs related to infusion treatments were three to four times more compared to the respective costs for oral treatments. Increasing drug costs but poorer treatment outcomes in later treatment lines underline a need for more efficient and better tolerated treatment options. This study demonstrates that oral treatments may indeed reduce patient and hospital resource burden and thus, should be considered in future health economic evaluations in Finland.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Multiple Myeloma Treatments, Outcomes, and Costs of Health Care Resource Utilisation During 2009-2016, Based on Multiple Data Sources from a Hospital District in Finland
AU  - Saku Torvinen
AU  - Ville Vihervaara
AU  - Tatu Miettinen
AU  - Jari Jokelainen
AU  - Melissa Bauer
AU  - Anu Marttila
AU  - Klaus Tamminen
AU  - Jonna Salonen
Y1  - 2021/01/28
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20210701.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijcems.20210701.14
T2  - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences
JF  - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences
JO  - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences
SP  - 21
EP  - 30
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2469-8032
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20210701.14
AB  - Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the most prevalent hematologic cancers. Treatments of MM have been improved by availability of novel therapies but require regular hospital visits and intense patient follow-up. In this real-world study, patient characteristics, first four treatment lines (1L–4L), and associated outcomes and costs were assessed among adults treated for active MM during 2009–2016 at Kymenlaakso Central Hospital, Kymsote hospital district, Finland. In addition, patient burden and travel costs were determined for the patients treated during 2015–2016. Ninety-seven patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Data were retrospectively collected from hospital’s database, medical charts, and from healthcare professionals. Treatment lines and responses were defined according to the general recommendations. The median age at diagnosis was 70.1 years. The median overall survival was 68 months. Proteasome inhibitors (PI) or immunomodulatory drugs (IM) were the most common regimen types while the utilisation of a more novel approach, the simultaneous use of PI and IM, was low across first four treatment lines. Overall response rate was 72–74% for 1L–2L and 50–56% for 3L–4L. Drug costs represented the greatest proportion of total healthcare costs and increased in the later treatment lines. Patients receiving infusion treatments had specialised health care visits twice as much the patients treated with oral treatments. Furthermore, travel costs related to infusion treatments were three to four times more compared to the respective costs for oral treatments. Increasing drug costs but poorer treatment outcomes in later treatment lines underline a need for more efficient and better tolerated treatment options. This study demonstrates that oral treatments may indeed reduce patient and hospital resource burden and thus, should be considered in future health economic evaluations in Finland.
VL  - 7
IS  - 1
ER  - 

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