OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to evaluate the cost of adverse events in cancer patients in Lebanon from private and public sector payer perspectives.

METHODS: Claims data was retrieved from a third-party payer that represents 50% of the private insurance companies in Lebanon of whom 38% of adherent have complementary NSSF insurance, The NSSF (National Social Security Funds) sector, in turn, represent 28.6% from the total healthcare sector in Lebanon. Two sets of 2016 data were retrieved, one for multiple myeloma patients and the second for all cancer patients admitted specifically for any of three types of adverse events: anemia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia. For the multiple myeloma data set, 26 patients had 280 claims. For the all cancer data set, 18 claims of patients with private public insurance (co-NSSF) were retrieved for patients admitted for adverse events. For the set of multiple myeloma patients the mean average costs was calculated across all claims; for the all cancer patients the median was calculated.

RESULTS: From the all cancer patients set, we found the adverse event treatment total costs was respectively as follows: neutropenia (3,587,875LBP) and the NSSF represented 39.2% from the total cost which was (1,406,655LBP), anemia (3,767,000LBP) and the NSSF represented 23.8% from the total cost (898,500LBP) and thrombocytopenia (5,025,570 LBP) where the NSSF represented respectively, 39.3% and it was (1,975,500LBP). The multiple myeloma claims provided two adverse events from the NSSF perspective: diarrhea (5,871,000LBP) and febrile neutropenia (8,962,000LBP) and one adverse event from the private perspective that is severe pneumonia (46,419,000LBP).

CONCLUSIONS: Although these results were limited, this is the first time that the cost of treating adverse events for multiple myeloma and cancer patients have been analyzed in the Lebanese market. These analysis may help with the setting of guidelines for cancer-related adverse events management.