OBJECTIVES: To estimate the disease burden of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) under the current treatment pattern in China.

METHODS: A decision-analytic model was constructed to simulate the Chinese patients with CLL/SLL and the age and gender-matched Chinese general population over lifetime time horizon for the differences in overall survival, quality-adjusted life years (QALY), and lifetime direct medical costs. A literature search was conducted to identify appropriate evidence to estimate the model variables. Base case analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted for the point estimations and uncertainty of the disease burden of CLL/SLL.

RESULTS: The Chinese CLL/SLL patients were associated with reduced overall survival by 6.365 years (9.244 years vs. 15.609 years), reduced average QALY by 7.254 QALY (6.630 QALY vs. 13.884 QALY), and increased average lifetime direct medical costs by ¥852,295 (¥949,114 vs. ¥96,819). The reduced lifetime QALY associated with CLL/SLL was sensitive to the utility of stable disease (change: 1.640 QALY), the risk of progressive disease without maintenance therapy (change: -1.088 QALY), and the mortality of the progressive disease (change: -0.953 QALY). The increased lifetime direct medical costs associated with CLL/SLL was sensitive to best supportive care rate (change: ¥-201,524), the drug acquisition costs of rituximab (change: ¥171,827), and the risk of progressive disease without maintenance therapy (change: ¥126,300. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis with 5,000 Monte Carlo simulations estimated that the median and 95% credible interval of reduced QALY (-6.891 QALY, -8.068 to -5.660 QALY) and increased lifetime direct medical costs (¥839,052, ¥667,315 to ¥1,022,406).

CONCLUSIONS: The disease burden of CLL/SLL in Chinese patients was characterized by reduced overall survival, reduced QALY, and increased medical costs that were highly sensitive to the utility of stable disease, best supportive care rate, risk of progressive disease without maintenance therapy, and drug acquisition costs of rituximab.