title: Economic burden of patients affected by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): the LIFE study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a condition with significant clinical burden for patients and relevant economic impact. Limited evidence exists on the management costs of NSCLC patients, especially in the late phases of the disease. The main objective of this analysis was to evaluate the economic impact of clinical management of NSCLC patients in the Italian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This evaluation was an economic analysis of the observational and multicentre study LIFE, which described the therapeutic approach in routine clinical practice for NSCLC patients, progressing after first-line treatment. This study evaluated resource consumption in different Italian hospitals, including specialist visits, hospitalizations, accesses to first aid, pharmacological treatment, laboratory tests and palliative care. The National Healthcare Service perspective was adopted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, N = 191 patients enrolled in the LIFE study were included. Patients were aged 64.2 years and were predominantly males (66%). In the different line of treatments, monthly costs of patients ranged between €1471 (first line) and €1788 (third line). The overall healthcare cost over the average period of observation (16.4 months) was €25,859 per patient. Overall, oncology therapy was the cost driver, although the composition of medical costs changed across the different lines of treatment, with costs for concomitant medication and palliative care being predominant in late phase of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The economic burden of NSCLC is extremely high during the overall period of treatment, and a significant level of care is required in each stage of the disease.
authors.affiliation: A.O. San Camillo Forlanini, Rome, Italy. ritamigliorino@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Maria Rita
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Migliorino
authors.affiliation: Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santo
authors.affiliation: Ospedale V. Fazzi, Lecce, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cortinovis
authors.affiliation: Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II" I.R.C.C.S., Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galetta
authors.affiliation: A.O.U. Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alabiso
authors.affiliation: A.O.R.N. Antonio Cardarelli, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cartenì
authors.affiliation: Istituto Regina Elena, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vari
authors.affiliation: A.O.U. Santa Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianpiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fasola
authors.affiliation: Ospedale Civile SS. Annunziata, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pazzola
authors.affiliation: Istituto Oncologico del Mediterraneo, Viagrande, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giuffrida
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Poliambulanza, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaniboni
authors.affiliation: A.O. Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caprioli
authors.affiliation: Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.affiliation: Boehringer Ingelheim Italia Spa, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Acciai
authors.affiliation: Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Marinis
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000191:economics*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Cost per line of treatment; Economic burden; Line of treatment; Non-small cell lung cancer; Observational study