Treatment patterns and cost estimations of systemic chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer in Japan: A retrospective database study

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to clarify the treatment patterns of pancreatic cancer patients receiving systemic chemotherapy in Japan and to estimate the direct medical costs in actual practice. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used electronic health record data between April 2008 and December 2018 in Japan. Participants had a confirmed pancreatic cancer diagnosis and received at least one systemic chemotherapy, including FOLFIRINOX, gemcitabine plus nab‐paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and S‐1. The outcomes were treatment patterns and monthly medical costs and the distribution of monthly medical costs across healthcare resource categories. RESULTS: Of the 4514 selected patients, 40.7%, 7.1%, 24.4%, and 21.3% used gemcitabine plus nab‐paclitaxel, FOLFIRINOX, gemcitabine, and S‐1 as first‐line chemotherapy, respectively. The median monthly medical costs were the highest in the first month, with gemcitabine plus nab‐paclitaxel ranking first (6813 USD), followed by FOLFIRINOX, gemcitabine, and S‐1. The health resource categories with the highest shares of monthly medical costs during the first‐line treatment period with gemcitabine plus nab‐paclitaxel and FOLFIRINOX were hospitalization costs (FOLFIRINOX: 41%–37%; gemcitabine plus nab‐paclitaxel: 40%–34%) and medicine costs (FOLFIRINOX: 51%–42%; gemcitabine plus nab‐paclitaxel: 49%–38%). CONCLUSIONS: This study sheds light on the current treatment patterns and direct medical costs of systemic chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer in Japan.