OBJECTIVES : The aim of this study was to identify the total costs of neutropenia and febrile neutropenia treatment in patients on chemotherapy and to analyse the main determinants of these total costs.

METHODS : The study was conducted as a retrospective cost of illness study using the "from the bottom to the top" approach. The study included 60 patients who were treated due to chemotherapy-related neutropenia or febrile neutropenia at the Oncology Clinic of the Center of Kragujevac in the period of January 1st and December 31th 2018. The value of all costs were expressed in the national currency of Republic of Serbia (RSD).

RESULTS : The total cost was 2,008,663.51 RSD while the mediana of the cost of treatment per pacient was 24,598.83 RSD (3,994.16-145,108.78). The total cost of drugs, parenteral drug administration and lenght of hospitalization were the main determinants of direct hospital costs with 27.39%, 25.46% and 21.86%, respectively. In the structure of total costs of drug therapy, the cost of granulocyte colony growth factors (G-CSF) represented a therapeutic option which had the highest value (45.91%).

CONCLUSIONS : The analysis of the costs of treatment of these adverse effects can contribute to the development of new treatment modalies due to the rising of cancer incidence and chemotherapy-related adverse events and their obligatory hospital treatment.