Derivation of a cost-saving screening strategy for asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Our study seeks to find a cost-saving screening strategy in a primary care population for diagnosing primary hyperparathyroidism based on peak serum total calcium level, age, and patient sex. METHODS: Laboratory data resulting from primary care office visits at our institution between January 2016 through December 2017 to evaluate patients who had at least 1 episode of hypercalcemia (≥10.5 mg/dL). For each serum calcium threshold, we calculated the percentage of patients who were found to have an increased parathyroid hormone level (≥65 pg/mL). We determined whether net cost savings could be achieved by screening hypercalcemic patients given their probability of primary hyperparathyroidism and expected cost savings from fracture risk reduction, given their sex and age. RESULTS: From 155,350 unique patients in the study period, a total of 2,271 had a minimum of 1 hypercalcemic lab value. After exclusion criteria, there were 1,326 patients of whom 27.5% had a parathyroid hormone level checked. Cost savings was established at a screening threshold of 10.5 for all patients until age 66 years for men and 69 years for women. For men aged 67-68 y and women aged 70-71 years, the optimal screening threshold was 10.8 mg/dl. CONCLUSION: Cost savings can be achieved by screening hypercalcemic patients with a life expectancy exceeding 16 years, with varying thresholds based on age and sex.

Calcitonin Stewardship Strategies.

Despite being approved by the Food and Drug Administration for over 30 years, calcitonin salmon has seen a dramatic increase in acquisition cost over the last few years. Being commonly used for the treatment of hypercalcemia of malignancy, health systems must implement stewardship strategies in order to curtail usage. This review is intended to provide a background on calcitonin usage for hypercalcemia of malignancy and associated strategies to ensure appropriateness of utilization within health systems.

Frequency of skeletal-related events and associated healthcare resource use and costs in US patients with multiple myeloma.

OBJECTIVE: A potential complication for all new multiple myeloma (MM) patients is the clinical presentation of osteolytic lesions which increase the risk for skeletal-related events (SREs). However, the contribution of SREs to the overall economic impact of MM is unclear. The impact of SREs on healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs for US patients with MM was analyzed in Truven Health Marketscan Commercial Claims and Medicare Supplemental Databases. METHODS: Adults diagnosed with MM between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2010 with ≥2 claims ≥30 days apart (first claim = index date) were included. SREs included: hypercalcemia, pathologic fracture, surgery for the prevention and treatment of pathologic fractures or spinal cord compression, and radiation for bone pain. Rates of HCRU (outpatient [OP], inpatient [IP], emergency room [ER], orthopedic consultation [OC], and ancillary) and healthcare costs were compared between MM patients with and without SREs. Inverse propensity weighting was applied to adjust for potential bias. RESULTS: Of 1028 MM patients (mean age = 67, standard deviation = 13.2), 596 patients with ≥1 SRE and 432 without SREs were assessed. HCRU rates in IP, ER, and ancillary (p < 0.01) and mean total costs of OP, IP, and ER were significantly higher (p < 0.05) for patients with vs without SREs during follow-up. HCRU rates also increased with SRE frequency (p < 0.05 in OP, IP, ER, OC, and ancillary), as did mean total healthcare costs, except for OC (p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: A broad assessment of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of MM was not an objective of the current study. Bisphosphonate use was evaluated; however, results were descriptively focused on frequency of utilization only and were not included in the broader cost and HCRU analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Among US patients with MM, higher SRE frequency was associated with a significant trend of higher HCRU and total healthcare costs in several settings.

Clinical, economic and humanistic burdens of skeletal-related events associated with bone metastases.

Despite effective skeletal-related event (SRE)-limiting therapies such as zoledronic acid and denosumab, SREs continue to place a meaningful burden on patients, providers and payers. However, studies of SRE-related effects on clinical (i.e., survival), economic (i.e., cost per event) and humanistic (i.e., quality of life) outcomes often report results in a composite manner and frequently do not differentiate the effects by SRE-type (i.e., bone radiation, bone surgery, hypercalcemia, pathological fracture and spinal cord compression). Nevertheless, understanding the differential burdens of individual SRE types, which vary in severity and duration of effect, is an important consideration - particularly in pharmacoeconomic evaluations of SRE-limiting therapies. In this review of the clinical, economic and humanistic SRE burden, it was found that SRE types can be differentiated by these outcomes, although economic outcomes are far more frequently reported than clinical or humanistic.

Cost-effectiveness of zoledronic acid in the management of skeletal metastases in patients with lung cancer in France, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United kingdom.

BACKGROUND: Zoledronic acid (ZOL) significantly reduces the risk of new skeletal-related events (SREs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have bone metastases. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the cost and cost-effectiveness of ZOL in the management of skeletal metastases in this population across 5 European countries (France, Germany, United Kingdom, Portugal, and the Netherlands) from the perspective of national health care. METHODS: This cost-effectiveness analysis was based on a subset of patients with NSCLC who were enrolled in a Phase III trial of patients with bone metastases secondary to a variety of solid tumors. In this trial, patients were randomized to receive ZOL or placebo every 3 weeks for up to 21 months. Survival, SRE incidence, and number of infusions administered were derived from the clinical trial. Costs of SREs were estimated using hospital Diagnosis Related Group tariffs and published data. Drug, drug administration, and supply costs were obtained from published and internet sources. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated based on the published utilities and modeled survival and frequency of SREs. Uncertainty surrounding outcomes was addressed via univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Compared with patients receiving placebo (n = 120), patients receiving ZOL (n = 124) experienced an estimated 0.79 fewer SREs and gained an estimated 0.02 QALYs. ZOL use in patients with NSCLC and bone metastases was associated with a reduction in SRE costs (ranging from €1547 to €1893 [2007-2008 €], depending on the country). After adding drug and drug administration costs, ZOL use resulted in a net savings of €288 per patient in Germany, €209 in the United Kingdom, and €113 in Portugal. In France and the Netherlands, costs increased (€17 and €178, respectively), but the costs per QALY gained were low (€786 and €8278, respectively). In univariate sensitivity analyses, the cost per QALY for ZOL versus placebo was ≤€50,000 for all scenarios tested. The results were most sensitive to assumptions regarding survival, number of ZOL infusions, and the costs of SREs. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that ZOL cost ≤€50,000 per QALY in 65% to 83% of model simulations (depending on country). However, some degree of uncertainty remained as the 95th percentile of cost per QALY was high. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis is subject to the usual limitations of cost-effectiveness models, which combine assumptions and data from multiple sources. Nevertheless, based on the assumptions used herein, the present model suggests that ZOL increases QALYs and is cost saving and/or cost effective compared with placebo in patients with NSCLC in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

The cost of treatment of skeletal-related events in patients with bone metastases from lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Patients with bone metastases from lung cancer often experience skeletal-related events (SREs) including pathological fracture, spinal cord compression, hypercalcemia or pain requiring surgery, radiotherapy or opioid analgesics. These complications result in impaired mobility and reduced quality of life and have a significant negative impact on survival. The economic consequences of SREs in patients with lung cancer have not been examined. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis using a large US health insurance claims database to estimate the incidence and costs of treatment of SREs in patients with bone metastases of lung cancer treated in a naturalistic setting. Study subjects had >/=2 encounters with a diagnosis of primary lung cancer and >/=2 encounters with a diagnosis of metastases to bone. SREs were identified based on the occurrence on or after the date of first diagnosis of bone metastases, of (1) >/=1 encounter with a diagnosis of pathological fracture, spinal cord compression or hypercalcemia, (2) >/=1 bone surgery or radiotherapy procedure, or (3) the initiation of opioid analgesic therapy. Survival and costs of SRE-related care in patients with SREs were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods. RESULTS: We identified 534 patients with lung cancer and bone metastases, including 295 (55%) with >/=1 SRE. Radiotherapy (68%) and fracture (35%) were the most common SREs. Median survival after the first identified SRE was 4.1 months (95% confidence interval: 3.6-5.5 months). The estimated lifetime SRE-related cost per patient was USD 11,979 (95% confidence interval: USD 10,193-13,766). Radiotherapy accounted for the greatest proportion of cost (61%) by SRE type. CONCLUSION: The economic burden of SREs in patients with bone metastases of lung cancer is substantial. Intravenous bisphosphonates, such as zoledronic acid, which have been shown to prevent these events, may reduce these costs.

Formulary management of drugs for cancer-associated hypercalcaemia.

Hypercalcaemia associated with cancer is seen not infrequently in hospital practice and can be a source of considerable morbidity. Over the past decade, our understanding of the pathogenesis of this syndrome has advanced, allowing improved treatment protocols. Because one of the principal abnormalities relates to an increase in bone resorption, antiresorptive agents such as calcitonin and the bisphosphonates have been shown to be of value. In the medium to longer term, the bisphosphonates -particularly pamidronic acid[pamidronate;aminohydroxypropylidene bisphosphonate (APD)] and clodronic acid [clodronate; dichloromethyl bisphosphonate (Cl2MDP)]¿ appear to be more efficacious in terms of their calcium-lowering effect than calcitonin, and also appear to be associated with fewer adverse effects than most other agents. However, the importance of energetic re-expansion of the extracellular space with 0.9% sodium chloride before bisphosphonate therapy is extremely important. Cancer-associated hypercalcaemia, especially with squamous cancer, is often associated with the production of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP). Where this is the case, it usually reflects the presence of more advanced disease with shortened life expectancy, and poorer response to calcium-lowering therapy. Multiple treatments with larger doses of bisphosphonate may be required for these patients.