OBJECTIVES: Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and infantile fibrosarcoma (IF) are rare tumors that usually occur in childhood. This study aims to calculate the annual costs of treating STS and IF in pediatric patients in Turkiye.

METHODS: Data for the study were collected using the Delphi Panel method; expert opinions were collected from six oncologists with experience in cancer treatment. The standardized questionnaire included questions eliciting the opinions of the expert panelists on the distribution of clinical characteristics among patients with STS and IF. Analyses were conducted in the Microsoft Office Excel from the perspective of a reimbursement agency. The costs of treating STS and IF in pediatric patients were first calculated separately for different types of care and treatments, including examinations (laboratory and imaging tests), follow-up/hospitalization (radiotherapy, surgical interventions, outpatient treatment, and hospitalization), and medication (chemotherapy and other medicines). Next, the total costs for the progression-free period, the post-progression period, and terminal care were calculated.

RESULTS: The total annual costs for per pediatric patients with STS during the progression-free, post-progression, and terminal care periods were 60,765 TL, 23,522 TL, and 44,718 TL, respectively. While medication costs constituted the highest percentage of these costs during the progression-free period, the highest costs for patients with STS in Turkiye are examinations during the post-progression period and follow-up care and hospitalization during the terminal care period. The annual cost for per pediatric patients with IF was 91,492 TL during the progression-free period, 36,173 TL during the post-progression period, and 51,651 TL during the terminal care period. For pediatric patients with IF, the highest costs during the progression-free and post-progression periods were medications; during the terminal care period, the highest costs were follow-up care and hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS: The study aims to help decision makers who assess healthcare technology evaluate new treatment options for pediatric patients with STS and IF.