OBJECTIVES: Describe the Healthcare Resource Utilization (HRU) and the direct costs associated to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in Mexican healthcare institutions.

METHODS: HRU was listed according to literature and economic models, the values and frequencies were validated through interviews. Three groups of patients were considered depending on whether they receive or not a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) and if they are in Relapsed or Refractory disease stage (R/R). All costs were obtained from official publications from “Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social” (IMSS) (“costos unitarios 2021”) and “Secretaría de Salud” (SSA) (“tarifarios institucionales”). The results were estimated in average per patient and converted to dollars (exchange rate of Banxico). Total costs were calculated considering the proportional distribution of patients by treatment.

RESULTS: In general, at least once a month 33% of patients visit the emergency room, 45% are hospitalized and stay for an average of 12 days and 3% require at least 7 days of intensive care. The transplanted patients require more monitoring and exams, which represents more costs compared to those without HSCT. R/R patients receive twice more blood transfusions compared to other groups. The cost per emergency visit was (IMSS vs. SSA) $162 vs. $17, for one day of hospitalization $462 vs. $15, and for the ICU was $2,201 vs. $423.

The total cost per 6-months treatment maintenance for a patient without HSCT was $3,452, $4,038 with HSCT and $3,407 for R/R patients (IMSS), for SSA they were: $682, $725 and $827, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: main cost drivers in AML are hospitalizations and transplantation. R/R patients demand more HRU and are unsuitable for HSCT. However, although HSCT can be an expensive procedure, it may prolong remission and survival. Reducing hospitalizations, keeping the disease under control, and improving the chances to get to transplantation are critical factors for AML management.