Cost analysis and quality of life assessment comparing patients undergoingautologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation or autologous bone marrow transplantation for refractory or relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease: a prospective randomised trial

The cost-effectiveness of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplanta tion (PBSCT) compared with autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) fo r refractory or relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) or Morbus Hodgkin (MH ) was assessed. Costs were determined from the induction chemotherapy regim en up to 3 months after discharge from hospital following the transplantati on. Quality of life was measured by the EuroQol, the Rotterdam Symptom Chec klist (RSCL) and the SF-36. Patients were randomised according to a 2:1 rat io to undergo either PBSCT or ABMT. 62 patients underwent PBSCT and 29 ABMT . Costs of the transplantation period were significantly lower in the PBSCT group (15 008 Euros) than in the ABMT group (19 000 Euros). Significant di fferences in quality of life were all in favour of PBSCT and emerged using the RSCL, both on 14 days after the transplantation and three months after discharge. We conclude that PBSCT is associated with lower costs and a bett er quality of life than ABMT for patients with refractory or relapsed NHL o r MH. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.