OBJECTIVES: Multiple Myeloma is a second most common hematologic malignancy worldwide.In Algeria MM represents 1.3% of all cancers with a significant economic burden.The objective of this study is to evaluate the direct and indirect costs generated by the management of MM in Algerian patients

METHODS: This is an observational multicentric retrospective study among 108 patients to assess the direct and indirect costs generated by the management of MM.All data were collected based on patient medical records in a retrospective manner during the period of 2021.All included patients were followed for at least 6 months by their physician.The study included 15 main hospital centers in Algeria represented by a sample of 30 hematologists

RESULTS: The study population was 63% male and the mean age at inclusion and at diagnosis of MM was 60 and 58 years respectively. The incidence of MM in Algeria is 1.1/10⁵ with an overall mean age of 64 years. The mean follow-up time from MM diagnosis to inclusion was 22.7 months,81% of the patients lived in urban areas and 41% of the patients in the study were unemployed. The monthly household income of 69.5% of the patients was less than 50,000DA. This study allowed defining the care pathway and the medical resources consumed in the management of patients with MM. The average total cost is 3182350DA per patient/year,of which the average cost of targeted therapies represents the major part with an average cost of 2381598DA per patient/year.The indirect costs generated by MM are manifested by a loss of productivity of the patients and in some cases of their families but remain difficult to quantify.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study in the MENA region to assess the costs of managing MM. The total cost generated by MM in Algeria represents a real economic and societal burden for patients and health authorities