Health Care Resource Utilization and Costs among Adult Patients with Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Retrospective Medical Record Review in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and France

OBJECTIVE: To describe health care resource utilization and costs for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) in the United Kingdom (UK), Spain, Germany, and France. METHODS: Physicians abstracted data for adult patients with a diagnosis of advanced STS (other than Kaposi's sarcoma or gastrointestinal stromal tumor) who received ≥1 lines of systemic therapy. Health care resource utilization related to advanced STS treatment was recorded; associated costs were estimated by applying unit costs. RESULTS: A total of 130 physicians provided data for 807 patients (UK: 199; Spain: 203; Germany: 204; and France: 201). The site of care during active treatment varied based on differences in the health care systems of these four countries. Total mean per-patient health care cost in the UK was £19,457; in Spain, €26,814; in Germany, €20,468; and in France, €24,368. Advanced STS-related systemic treatment costs were driven primarily by drug acquisition and administration costs. Treatment-related costs increased during later lines of therapy for all countries except France, where they decreased after first-line therapy. Pain control and antiemetics were the most common supportive care medications. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides real-world data on resource utilization and estimated costs in advanced STS and could inform policymakers about treatment burden.