PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 338 - 10 Nov 2001

QOL in non-Hodgkin’s andHodgkins lymphoma

Patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Hodgkin’sdisease who undergo stem cell transplantation havebetter quality of life (QOL) and incur lower costs thanpatients who undergo an autologous bone marrowtransplantation, say researchers from The Netherlands.

Their study involved 91 such patients in 6 centres inThe Netherlands between 1994 and 1998 who wererefractory to, or had relapsed after, primarychemotherapy. Patients who had a partial or completeresponse to induction chemotherapy were thenrandomised to undergo either peripheral blood stem celltransplantation (n = 62) or autologous bone marrowtransplantation (29).

There were no significant differences between the 2groups when QOL was assessed using 2 genericmeasurements – the EuroQol and the Short-Form 36.However, when the cancer-specific RotterdamSymptom Checklist was used 14 days after theprocedure, patients who had undergone bone marrowtransplantation reported more problems with tiredness,lack of energy, headache, dizziness and hair loss andhad worse physical and functional status, than the stemcell transplant group. On average, the total per-patientcosts of transplantation (excluding follow-up) weresignificantly lower for the stem cell transplant group atECU15 008 vs ECU19 000* for the bone marrowtransplant group.* Costs (European Community Monetary Units) were calculated froman institutional perspective and included those for hospitalisation,consultations, supplies, drugs and diagnostic and other procedures.

Van Agthoven M, et al. Cost analysis and quality of life assessment comparingpatients undergoing autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation orautologous bone marrow transplantation for refractory or relapsed non-Hodgkin’slymphoma or Hodgkin’s disease: a prospective randomised trial. European Journalof Cancer 37 (Spec. issue): 1781-1789, Sep 2001 800880452

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PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 10 Nov 2001 No. 3381173-5503/10/0338-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved