TREATMENT PATTERNS AND HEALTHCARE COSTS IN PATIENTS WITH SMALL-CELL LUNG CANCER IN SOUTH KOREA: A NATIONWIDE REAL-WORLD STUDY
Author(s)
Yoonjin Lee, BS1, Hae Sun Suh, MA, MS, PhD2;
1Kyung Hee University, Department of Regulatory Science, Graduate School, Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 2Kyung Hee University, College of Pharmacy, Seoul, Korea, Republic of
1Kyung Hee University, Department of Regulatory Science, Graduate School, Seoul, Korea, Republic of, 2Kyung Hee University, College of Pharmacy, Seoul, Korea, Republic of
OBJECTIVES: To examine treatment patterns and healthcare costs by lines of therapy among patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) stratified by disease stage.
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the Cancer Public Library Database of the K-CURE project, which integrates nationwide cancer registry data with mortality records, medical check-up data, and National Health Insurance claims in Korea. Adult patients diagnosed with SCLC between 2013 and 2020 were identified using the ICD-10 code (C34.0) and stratified into limited-stage(LS) and extensive-stage(ES) based on cancer registry information. The first SCLC diagnosis date was defined as the index date and patients were followed until treatment discontinuation, death, or study end. Lines of therapy were defined using claims-based systemic therapy records based on changes in anticancer agents or treatment gaps. Healthcare costs including inpatient admissions, outpatient visits, and drug-related costs were assessed by lines of therapy. Patients with missing stage information or without an identifiable treatment initiation date were excluded.
RESULTS: We identified 20,760 patients with SCLC (ES, n=13,439 [64.7%]; LS, n=7,321 [35.3%]). Male patients were 86% and 84% in ES and LS group, respectively. Overall, 63.7% of ES patients and 68.0% of LS patients received first-line systemic therapy, with declining proportions across subsequent lines. In both stages, etoposide/platinum was the most frequently used first-line regimen. Second-line therapies included etoposide/platinum, irinotecan/platinum, and belotecan, with differences in relative utilization between ES and LS patients. In the third line, paclitaxel was the most commonly prescribed regimen in both ES (387/1597, 24.2%) and LS (184/911, 20.2%) patients. Mean total healthcare costs per patient decreased with advancing lines of therapy, ranging from USD 17,514 to 11,619 in ES patients and USD 27,025 to 13,787 among LS patients.
CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide real-world study provides stage-specific real-world evidence on systemic therapy utilization and healthcare costs across lines of therapy in SCLC.
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the Cancer Public Library Database of the K-CURE project, which integrates nationwide cancer registry data with mortality records, medical check-up data, and National Health Insurance claims in Korea. Adult patients diagnosed with SCLC between 2013 and 2020 were identified using the ICD-10 code (C34.0) and stratified into limited-stage(LS) and extensive-stage(ES) based on cancer registry information. The first SCLC diagnosis date was defined as the index date and patients were followed until treatment discontinuation, death, or study end. Lines of therapy were defined using claims-based systemic therapy records based on changes in anticancer agents or treatment gaps. Healthcare costs including inpatient admissions, outpatient visits, and drug-related costs were assessed by lines of therapy. Patients with missing stage information or without an identifiable treatment initiation date were excluded.
RESULTS: We identified 20,760 patients with SCLC (ES, n=13,439 [64.7%]; LS, n=7,321 [35.3%]). Male patients were 86% and 84% in ES and LS group, respectively. Overall, 63.7% of ES patients and 68.0% of LS patients received first-line systemic therapy, with declining proportions across subsequent lines. In both stages, etoposide/platinum was the most frequently used first-line regimen. Second-line therapies included etoposide/platinum, irinotecan/platinum, and belotecan, with differences in relative utilization between ES and LS patients. In the third line, paclitaxel was the most commonly prescribed regimen in both ES (387/1597, 24.2%) and LS (184/911, 20.2%) patients. Mean total healthcare costs per patient decreased with advancing lines of therapy, ranging from USD 17,514 to 11,619 in ES patients and USD 27,025 to 13,787 among LS patients.
CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide real-world study provides stage-specific real-world evidence on systemic therapy utilization and healthcare costs across lines of therapy in SCLC.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
EPH210
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Public Health
Disease
SDC: Oncology