OBJECTIVES: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs: essential thrombocythemia [ET], polycythemia vera [PV], myelofibrosis [MF], and unclassifiable MPN [MPN-U]) are acquired hematopoietic stem cell cancers with substantial symptoms and risk of debilitating complications that are often present years before diagnosis. We aimed to estimate 10-year healthcare costs of Danish MPN patients and matched comparisons from the general population.

METHODS: In a registry-based nationwide cohort study, we assessed the healthcare resource use (HRU) in the period from 2 years before diagnosis through up to 8 years after diagnosis in MPN patients (ET/PV/MF/MPN-U) diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 and comparisons (non-MPN: non-ET/non-PV/non-MF/non-MPN-U) matched on sex, age, residency, and educational level. The mean HRU (hospitalizations, outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and general practitioner contacts) in each cohort was multiplied by publicly available unit costs in 2023 DKK values (€ 1 = DKK 7.45), the survival rate each year, and number of patients. Costs were discounted at 3.5%. Individuals who were censored due to emigration or end of study (31 December 2017) were assumed, after censoring, to have the same HRU and risk of death as corresponding non-censored individuals.

RESULTS: We included 3,342 MPN patients (1140 ET, 1109 PV, 533 MF, 560 MPN-U) and 32,737 non-MPN comparisons. The 10-year healthcare costs for all MPN patients were DKK 780 million higher than if they would have been non-MPN (2.400 vs 1.620 billion). The cost difference was 267 million (804 vs 537 million) in ET, 276 million (802 vs 525 million) in PV, 102 million (395 vs 293 million) in MF, and 134 million (400 vs 266 million) in MPN-U.

CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare costs for MPN patients were almost 50% higher than for matched non-MPN comparisons. Based on the number of MPN patients diagnosed annually in Denmark (~500), the excessive 10-year costs amount to more than DKK 110 million.