An Observational Multicenter Study to Assess the Cost of Illness and Quality of Life in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes in Italy

The annual incidence rate of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in the general population is estimated at around 3–5/100,000. Because of a lack of specific therapies, until recently small attention has been devoted to costs of treatment of MDS. A specific Diagnosis-Related Group is still missing. In the US the mean annual cost for MDS patients ranges from $19,811 to $51,066.To assess the annual cost of illness (COI) and quality of life (QoL) of patients with MDS in Italy.The Costo Sociale delle Sindromi Mielodisplastiche e Qualità della vita in Italia (CoSMIQ) is an observational, cross-sectional, retrospective, prevalence-based, multicenter study based on an International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS)-stratified sample of patients with MDS ≥18 years of age seen in standard clinical practice at 7 hematologic institutions across Italy (3 in the North; 2 in the Center; and 2 in the South).Demographics, clinical history, health care and non-healthcare resource consumption, and patients' and caregivers' productivity losses were collected by physicians using clinical records and information provided by patients. COI (in Euro (€) 2010) was determined utilizing a societal perspective. QoL was assessed via EORTC QLQ-C30 and QOL-E v.2 questionnaires, the latter being a new specific tool for the assessment of health-related QoL in patients with MDS.Kendall's tau rank correlation, chi-squared test, multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA; MANOVA) and multiple linear regressions were performed when appropriate.In all, 225 of 234 patients who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed (IPSS low risk: 124 patients; intermediate-1 (Int-1) risk: 75 patients; Int-2 and high risk: 26 patients) (Table).The total COI reached €27,980.4 ± 28,322.2 (mean ± standard deviation) (Figure). Cost-drivers of COI were antianemics (lower-risk) and antineoplastics (higher-risk). The Italian National Health Service (INHS) funded the greatest share of COI (from 97.4% to 99.5%).In general, CoSMIQ patients perform worse than the general population in all EORTC QLQ-C30 domains; the total global health status (QL) domain reached 65.1 ± 22.2 (low risk: 64.2 ± 22.3; Int-1 risk: 67.4 ± 22.1; higher-risk: 62.5 ± 22.3). QL was negatively correlated with COI (p=0.049) and patients' age (p=0.089), and positively correlated with disease duration (p=0.203).Keeping the other predictors constant, RBC transfusion dependence predicts increased COI (p=0.006) and lower QL (p=0.009).Regarding the QOL-E questionnaire, the QOL-E MDS-specific domain (MDSS) was positively correlated with total COI (p=0.0002), and patients' age (p=0.348) and negatively correlated with disease duration (p=0.013).The total QOL MDSS was 27.5 ± 19.8 (low risk: 25.3 ± 19.4; Int-1 risk: 29.6 ± 19.3; higher-risk: 31.6 ± 22.2). The total treatment-outcome index domain (QOL TOI) was 49.4 ± 14.4 (low risk: 49.1 ± 14.7; Int-1 risk: 48.3 ± 14.7; higher-risk: 53.9 ± 11.7). QOL TOI was negatively correlated with total COI (p=0.379), and patients' age (p=0.0003) and positively correlated with disease duration (p=0.162). Differences by IPSS group were not statistically significant for COI (p=0.191) or for any domain of the EORTC QLQ-C30 or QOL-E questionnaires (p=0.124; p=0.467).MDS dramatically increases INHS budgets while negatively impacting patients' QoL. The results of the CoSMIQ study highlight the strong correlation between RBC transfusion dependence and both COI and QL. Lazzaro: Celgene Srl: Research Funding. Martelli:Celgene Srl: Employment, Equity Ownership.