Am. Stalfelt et H. Brodin, COSTS OVER TIME IN CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT OF ACUTE MYELOID-LEUKEMIA -A STUDY EXPLORING CHANGES IN TREATMENT STRATEGIES OVER 2 DECADES, Journal of internal medicine, 236(4), 1994, pp. 401-409
Objectives. The aim was to analyse the consumption of different items
in conventional treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and their c
ost, in order to evaluate the economic consequences of new treatment s
trategies. Design. Data on items of treatment were gathered retrospect
ively from case notes, including amount and date. Prices were gathered
from price lists made up for internal billing/accounting. Setting. Th
e patients were all treated in a hospital with excellent treatment and
service facilities. Subjects. Seventy-three AML patients treated from
1973 to 1980, all since deceased, were compared with 54 patients trea
ted from 1981 to 1988, of whom 14 were alive at the end of the observa
tion period. Interventions. The patients were treated according to ran
domized treatment protocols to achieve complete remission. Maintenance
treatment or consolidation courses were given. In relapse, new induct
ion treatment was given. Main outcome measures. Complete remission and
survival were registered. The costs were divided into basic hospital
costs and patient-specific costs. Results. The mean total treatment co
st for an AML patient in the 1970s was 211138 SEK, and in 1980s 356911
SEK. (UK pound 1 = 10.57 SEK, US$1 = 5.91 SEK 1990). All treatment co
sts increased between the periods: hospital costs by 20%, and patient-
specific costs by 186%. Antibiotics, cytostatics and outpatient depart
ment costs had increased the most. The mean survival time almost doubl
ed, and in the 1980s group there were several long-term survivors. Con
clusions. The costs for AML treatment increased considerably from the
1970s to the 1980s. The effectiveness of these treatments increased as
well, resulting in increased rate and duration of survival, and sever
al patients were long-term survivors. It was not possible to identify
the cost consequences of separate new technologies.