title: Healthcare utilisation in patients with breast cancer or non-Hodgkin lymphoma who experienced febrile neutropenia in the Netherlands: a retrospective matched control study using the PHARMO database.
abstract: Few data have been published on healthcare resource utilisation associated with chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN) in Europe. Using the PHARMO record linkage system, we identified incident adult patients with a primary hospital discharge diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) from 1998 to 2008. Patients who experienced FN were matched 1:2 non-FN reference patients. Of 1033 BC patients, 80 (8%) had FN and were matched with 160 reference patients; and of 486 NHL patients, 95 (20%) had FN and 89 were matched with 178 reference patients. Significantly more FN patients were hospitalised for any cause than reference patients: BC, 81% vs. 24% (OR 12.6; 95% CI 5.7-27.8); NHL, 82% vs. 44% (OR 6.7; 95% CI 3.3-13.9). Median length of all-cause hospitalisation stay was higher for FN patients: BC, 4.0 vs. 1.0 days; NHL, 8.5 vs. 1.8 days. The median (interquartile range) number of medication treatments was higher for FN patients: BC, 5.5 (4.0-7.5) vs. 2.0 (2.0-4.0); NHL, 8.0 (5.0-11.0) vs. 3.0 (2.0-4.0). In conclusion, FN in patients with BC or NHL had increased healthcare utilisation compared with non-FN patients; thus, efforts to reduce FN are warranted to reduce cost and improve outcomes.
authors: Department of Haematology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: D E
authors: DE
authors: Issa
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Gelderblom
authors: P J
authors: PJ
authors: Lugtenburg
authors: M P
authors: MP
authors: van Herk-Sukel
authors: L M A
authors: LM
authors: Houweling
authors: M
authors: M
authors: De La Orden
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: van der Werf-Langenberg
authors: J W R
authors: JW
authors: Nortier
authors: F A
authors: FA
authors: de Jong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D064147:Febrile Neutropenia / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: breast cancer; case-control study; chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia; healthcare resource utilisation; non-Hodgkin lymphoma