Real-world survival and economic burden among patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in the United States

Abstract

Background: Given the changing treatment landscape for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC), this study aimed to describe real-world treatments, overall survival (OS), health care resource utilization (HCRU), and costs among US patients with la/mUC receiving first-line therapy.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted using 100% Medicare claims data (2015-2020). Patients with la/mUC were selected; initiation of first-line therapy was the index date. Treatments and OS were assessed during follow-up (index date to the earliest of end of data availability, health plan coverage, or death). All-cause HCRU and costs (2021 USD) were assessed during the first-line treatment period (index date to the earliest of first-line discontinuation, switch to second-line therapy, end of follow-up, or death). Outpatient pharmacy costs were not included. All-cause OS from start of first-line therapy was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier approach. The HCRU, cost, and OS analyses were stratified by 3 index treatment groups-platinum-based chemotherapy, non-platinum-based chemotherapy, and programmed cell death protein 1/ligand 1 (PD-1/L1) inhibitor monotherapy-and adjusted for baseline characteristics.

Results: Of 9,939 patients included, 77.1% were men and mean age was 76 years. In total, 5,050 (50.8%) received platinum-based chemotherapy, 1,361 (13.7%) received non-platinum-based chemotherapy, and 3,242 (32.6%) received PD-1/L1 inhibitor monotherapy for first-line la/mUC. Median OS was 12.9, 12.9 (P = 0.960), and 9.0 months (P < 0.001) with platinum-based chemotherapy (reference), non-platinum-based chemotherapy, and PD-1/L1 inhibitor monotherapy, respectively. Most (> 99%) patients had ≥ 1 outpatient visit during the treatment period; mean number of visits per patient was 13.1 with platinum-based chemotherapy, 10.5 with non-platinum-based chemotherapy, and 18.3 with PD-1/L1 inhibitor monotherapy. In general, HCRU was significantly lower for patients receiving PD-1/L1 inhibitor monotherapy versus platinum-based chemotherapy. However, costs were significantly higher with PD-1/L1 inhibitor monotherapy versus platinum-based chemotherapy. Mean total monthly cost per patient was $10,285 for platinum-based chemotherapy, $8,982 for non-platinum-based chemotherapy, and $18,147 for PD-1/L1 inhibitor monotherapy.

Conclusions: From 2015 to 2020, patients with la/mUC had substantial HCRU and costs and short survival, regardless of first-line treatment. More effective therapies were needed to prolong survival and reduce the economic burden of la/mUC.

Keywords: Costs; Health care resource utilization; Medicare; United States; Urothelial carcinoma.