title: Economic analysis of lenograstim in the correction of neutropenia following chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: A prospective economic analysis of lenograstim and placebo was performed as part of a randomised double-blind trial in 162 patients receiving chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The primary clinical end-point was the percentage of patients experiencing > or = 1 documented infection in each treatment group. The cost of hospitalisation and the cost of medical services used were the primary economic end-points. Economic analysis was based on the French Hospital perspective. Over the 56-day study period, patients in the placebo group received more days of inpatient intravenous (8.9 vs 5.3 days; p < 0.01) and oral (5.3 vs 4.2 days) antibiotic therapy than those in the lenograstim group. This difference was due to a higher rate of documented infection in the placebo group. Patients treated with placebo also spent more days in hospital for reasons other than administration of chemotherapy (18.5 vs 14.4; p < 0.05). The number of days of chemotherapy was significantly greater in the lenograstim group than in the placebo group (19.4 vs 17.5; p < 0.001) because of shorter delays between chemotherapy cycles in the lenograstim group. The use of lenograstim to prevent chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with NHL was associated with a reduction in total direct medical costs (excluding the cost of lenograstim) of FF7297 as a result of reduced patient morbidity. Furthermore, the higher rate of completion of chemotherapy in the lenograstim group may lead to better long term survival; this observation deserves further clinical investigation.
authors.affiliation: BENEFIT Research Group, Paris, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Souêtre
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qing
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D000078224:Lenograstim; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use