Socioeconomic cost of AML in Sweden—A population‐based study using multiple nation‐wide registers

Abstract

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is associated with a high economic and clinical burden. Recently novel therapies have been added to standard treatment regimens. Here, we evaluated the economic impact of AML up until the introduction of these novel therapies. Individual data on 2954 adult patients diagnosed from 2007 to 2015 from five Swedish national population‐based registers were used, enabling analyses from diagnosis to either death or 5‐year follow‐up for survival, inpatient and outpatient costs, costs of prescribed drugs, sick leave, and early retirement. Costs per patient were stratified by age group, treatment options, and FLT3‐ITD status. The expected 5‐year costs per patient differed substantially between age groups. Patients aged 18–59 years had an expected mean cost per patient of €170,748, while age groups 60–69 years, 70–79 years, and >80 years incurred an expected mean cost of €92,252, €48,344, and €24,118, respectively, over 5 years. Patients <60 years undergoing stem cell transplantation had the highest costs (€228,525 over 5 years). About 60% of costs for these patients were from hospitalizations and 20% from sick leave and early retirement; cost per day was highest from the first admission to complete remission. This study provides a baseline for socioeconomic evaluations of novel therapies in AML in Sweden.

Keywords

• acute leukemia
• cost
• national registers
• treatment