Real-world healthcare resource utilization in a European non-small cell lung cancer population: the EPICLIN-Lung study

Abstract

Background:

There is a lack of data on health resource assessment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to inform clinical decision-making. The Epidemiological Study to Describe NSCLC Clinical Management Pattern in Europe–Lung (EPICLIN-Lung) study provides information on healthcare resource utilization associated with different NSCLC treatment strategies in real-life clinical settings.

Methods:

This multinational, multicenter, non-interventional study (NCT00831909) was conducted in eight European countries in 2009–2010. Patients with confirmed NSCLC were enrolled and followed for 12 months or until death. Information was collected on patient and disease characteristics, diagnosis and treatment patterns. Healthcare resource utilization was described in relation to diagnostic patterns and treatment received.

Results:

Data were available for 3508 patients (median age = 65.0 years, male = 77.6%, Caucasian = 98.4%, adenocarcinoma = 43.8%, stage IV = 48.6%, 10.8% never smoked). The overall mean number of hospitalization days was 16.4 (standard deviation (SD) = 18.42). Patients were followed up for a mean of 245.8 (131.4) days. Most patients (96.0%) underwent imaging procedures, most commonly scanning (93.9%). Surgery was associated with a mean of 12.5 (9.33) hospitalization days, with lobectomy and extended procedures (20.3%) being the most common surgery types. Radiotherapy resulted in a mean of 11.6 (14.12) hospitalization days. The majority of radiotherapy was palliative (56.0%), which resulted in fewer (mean 9.5 [11.12]) hospitalization days. Administration of systemic treatment resulted in a mean of 6.5 (8.04) hospitalization days, 1.7 (3.59) visits for disease-related events, 2.3 (1.83) adverse events and 5.4 (5.86) blood-specific resources. The key limitations of this study are those inherent to its non-interventional nature and wide regional focus, and the lack of cost-effectiveness data.

Conclusions:

EPICLIN-Lung provides important, Europe-wide information on drivers of healthcare resource use in different treatment strategies for NSCLC.

Keywords::

• Carcinoma, non-small cell lung
• Epidemiology
• Healthcare resource utilization
• Europe
• Observational study

Transparency

Declaration of funding

EPICLIN-Lung was funded by AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca and the authors collaborated in the study design, and collection and interpretation of data. The decision to submit for publication was the lead author’s.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

A.V. has received payment for board membership from Roche, Lilly and AstraZeneca and has received grants (or has grants pending) from Chugai, Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, AstraZeneca and Pierre Fabre. A.C. has received consulting fees, honoraria and travel/accommodation expenses from AstraZeneca, and his institution has received data manager support from AstraZeneca for EPICLIN-Lung study data collection. M.T. has received consulting fees, honoraria, travel/accommodation expenses and payment for development of educational presentations from AstraZeneca. C.J. has received consultancy fees from Celgene Corporation, AstraZeneca, Worldwide Clinical Trials, Integrium LLC, Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Outcomes Research, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, MedImmune, ACT Oncology and BioSoteria. J.M. is an employee of AstraZeneca. G.C. has disclosed that he has no significant relationships with or financial interests in any commercial companies related to this study or article.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Tom Westgate, PhD, from iMed Comms for assistance in manuscript preparation, which was funded by AstraZeneca.