Treatment patterns, health state, and health care resource utilization of patients with radioactive iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer

Abstract

Background

Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) often respond well to treatment but some become refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment, and treatment options are limited. Despite the humanistic and economic burden RAI refractory disease imposes on patients, published research concerning treatment patterns and health care resource utilization is sparse.

Methods

Data were collected from an online retrospective chart review study in the US and five European Union (EU) countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK) with physicians recruited from an online panel. Physicians (N=211) provided demographics, disease history, treatment information, and health care resource utilization for one to four of their patients with radioactive iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC).

Results

The majority of the patients with RR-DTC (N=623) were female (56%), and their mean age was 58.2 years. In this sample, 63.2% had papillary thyroid cancer and 57.0% were in Stage IV when deemed RAI refractory. Patients with RR-DTC experienced regional recurrence in the thyroid bed/central neck area (25.3%) and had distant metastatic disease (53.6%). At the time data were collected, 50.7% were receiving systemic treatment. Of those, 78.5% were on first-line treatment and 62.7% were receiving multikinase inhibitors. Regional differences for prescribed treatments were observed; the US was more likely to have patients receiving multikinase inhibitors (79.2%) compared with UK (41.2%) and Italy (17.1%). Additional details regarding treatment patterns and resource utilization are discussed.

Conclusion

The current study aimed to obtain a greater understanding of RR-DTC treatment globally. These results can assist in the development and implementation of treatment guidelines and ultimately enhance the care of patients with RR-DTC.

Keywords:

• thyroid cancer
• disease burden
• therapy options
• cost of illness

Supplementary materials

Table S1 Medication by metastatic disease status for those on systemic treatment across all lines (n=316)

Table S2 Medication by region for those on systemic treatment for first line only (n=316)

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Eisai, Inc. Eisai, Inc. paid Kantar Health for survey design, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. Marco DiBonaventura and Shu Huang provided support for study design, fielding, or analytic plan and are paid employees of Kantar Health. Errol J Philip provided editorial support for manuscript preparation as a paid consultant to Kantar Health. Gabriel Tremblay provided support for analytic plan and is a paid employee of Eisai, Inc.

Disclosure

Eisai, Inc. is the manufacturer of lenvatinib, a drug approved for the treatment of thyroid cancer. Eisai, Inc. paid Kantar Health for survey design, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. NMF and GRW are paid employees of Kantar Health. CLP and AF are employees of Eisai, Inc. AGG and MHT have no conflicts of interest to report in relation to this work as they volunteered their time for this manuscript. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.