OBJECTIVES: This systematic literature review aimed to identify comprehensive evidence on the economic burden of disease among patients with glioblastoma in five key European countries (the United Kingdom [UK], France, Germany, Italy, and Spain).

METHODS: We searched EMBASE^® and MEDLINE^® via Embase.com to identify English-language articles published from 2012–2022 which reported the economic burden of glioblastoma. Data on study characteristics, patient demographics, economic burden (costs/healthcare resource use) were extracted.

RESULTS: We identified a total of 863 records from the literature searches, five of which fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Two were from Spain and one each from Italy, France and England. In France, an increased trend in the mean total cost per patient was observed from €53,368 (N=49 patients) in 2004 (Group 1), to €70,201 (N=73) in 2008 (Group 2), to €78,355 (N=95) in 2011 (Group 3). The key cost drivers were hospital care (75%, 59% and 60% in Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively) followed by chemotherapy drug costs (11%, 30% and 29%, respectively). A Spanish study highlighted a significantly higher cost of second-line treatment with and without a bevacizumab/irinotecan regimen for 36 patients (€629,277.57 vs. €16,771.29). Another Spanish study estimated an additional €1.5 million (cost year 2011) of economic burden to society for treating glioblastoma with temozolomide. A five year GlioCova project in England from 2013–2018 found the median length of hospitalization in patients undergoing surgery and biopsy was 5 days (IQR=6) and 3 days (IQR=6), respectively. In Italy, the mean length of palliative home-care assistance was 182 days.

CONCLUSIONS: There is limited economic burden evidence for glioblastoma in Europe. Hospital care and an increasing demand for treatment by chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies is associated with a significant economic burden of glioblastoma. More studies are needed to evaluate indirect costs to draw more meaningful inferences around total costs associated with glioblastoma patients.