Burden of Illness in Follicular Lymphoma with Multiple Lines of Treatment, Italian RWE Analysis

This real-world analysis investigated patients with follicular lymphoma in Italy receiving
three or more treatment lines (3L), focusing on therapeutic pathways with their rebounds on
healthcare resource consumptions and costs. Data were retrieved from administrative databases from
healthcare entities covering about 13.3 million residents. Adults diagnosed with follicular lymphoma
were identified between January 2015 and June 2020, and among them 2434 patients with 3L of
treatment during the data availability interval (January 2009 to June 2021) were included. Of them,
1318 were in 3L, 494 in 4L and 622 in 5L. A relevant proportion of patients (12–32%) switched to a
later line within the same calendar year. At 3-year follow-up (median), 34% patients died. Total mean
annual expenses were euro 14,508 in the year preceding inclusion and rose to euro 21,081 at 1-year
follow-up (on average euro 22,230/patient/year for the whole follow-up), with hospitalization and
drug expenses as weightiest cost items. In conclusion, the clinical and economic burden of follicular
lymphoma increases along with later treatment lines. The high mortality rates indicate that further
efforts are needed to optimize disease management