Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2022.

The number of cancer survivors continues to increase in the United States due to the growth and aging of the population as well as advances in early detection and treatment. To assist the public health community in better serving these individuals, the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute collaborate triennially to estimate cancer prevalence in the United States using incidence and survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registries, vital statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, and population projections from the US Census Bureau. Current treatment patterns based on information in the National Cancer Database are presented for the most prevalent cancer types by race, and cancer-related and treatment-related side-effects are also briefly described. More than 18 million Americans (8.3 million males and 9.7 million females) with a history of cancer were alive on January 1, 2022. The 3 most prevalent cancers are prostate (3,523,230), melanoma of the skin (760,640), and colon and rectum (726,450) among males and breast (4,055,770), uterine corpus (891,560), and thyroid (823,800) among females. More than one-half (53%) of survivors were diagnosed within the past 10 years, and two-thirds (67%) were aged 65 years or older. One of the largest racial disparities in treatment is for rectal cancer, for which 41% of Black patients with stage I disease receive proctectomy or proctocolectomy compared to 66% of White patients. Surgical receipt is also substantially lower among Black patients with non-small cell lung cancer, 49% for stages I-II and 16% for stage III versus 55% and 22% for White patients, respectively. These treatment disparities are exacerbated by the fact that Black patients continue to be less likely to be diagnosed with stage I disease than White patients for most cancers, with some of the largest disparities for female breast (53% vs 68%) and endometrial (59% vs 73%). Although there are a growing number of tools that can assist patients, caregivers, and clinicians in navigating the various phases of cancer survivorship, further evidence-based strategies and equitable access to available resources are needed to mitigate disparities for communities of color and optimize care for people with a history of cancer. CA Cancer J Clin. 2022;72:409-436.

Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2019.

The number of cancer survivors continues to increase in the United States because of the growth and aging of the population as well as advances in early detection and treatment. To assist the public health community in better serving these individuals, the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute collaborate every 3 years to estimate cancer prevalence in the United States using incidence and survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registries; vital statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics; and population projections from the US Census Bureau. Current treatment patterns based on information in the National Cancer Data Base are presented for the most prevalent cancer types. Cancer-related and treatment-related short-term, long-term, and late health effects are also briefly described. More than 16.9 million Americans (8.1 million males and 8.8 million females) with a history of cancer were alive on January 1, 2019; this number is projected to reach more than 22.1 million by January 1, 2030 based on the growth and aging of the population alone. The 3 most prevalent cancers in 2019 are prostate (3,650,030), colon and rectum (776,120), and melanoma of the skin (684,470) among males, and breast (3,861,520), uterine corpus (807,860), and colon and rectum (768,650) among females. More than one-half (56%) of survivors were diagnosed within the past 10 years, and almost two-thirds (64%) are aged 65 years or older. People with a history of cancer have unique medical and psychosocial needs that require proactive assessment and management by follow-up care providers. Although there are growing numbers of tools that can assist patients, caregivers, and clinicians in navigating the various phases of cancer survivorship, further evidence-based resources are needed to optimize care.

Recent treatment patterns and real-world survival following first-line anti-PD-L1 treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The landscape of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has changed since the 2019 and 2020 approvals of anti-PD-L1 atezolizumab and durvalumab for first-line (1L) treatment in combination with chemotherapy. We studied treatment patterns and real-world overall survival (rwOS) following 1L-3L therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A nationwide electronic health record (EHR)-derived de-identified database was used to describe treatment patterns, characteristics, and survival of patients with extensive-stage (ES)-SCLC by 1L anti-PD-L1 treatment. Patients with ES-SCLC who initiated ≥1 line of systemic therapy from 2013 to 2021, with potential follow-up through 2022, were included. RESULTS: Among 9952 patients with SCLC, there were 4308 patients with ES-SCLC treated during the study period who met eligibility criteria. Etoposide + platinum (EP) chemotherapy was most common in the 1L, with addition of anti-PD-L1 therapy to most regimens by 2019. Second-line regimens varied by platinum sensitivity status and shifted from topotecan to lurbinectedin over time. Median rwOS following 1L therapy was 8.3 months (95% CI, 7.9-8.8) in those treated with 1L anti-PD-L1 and 8.0 months (95% CI, 7.8-8.2) in those who were not. Following 2L and 3L, median rwOS was 5.6 (95% CI, 4.9-6.3) and 4.9 months (95% CI, 3.4-6.0), respectively, among 1L anti-PD-L1-treated, and 4.5 (95% CI, 4.2-4.9) and 4.0 months (95% CI, 3.7-4.5), respectively, among those who were not. CONCLUSION: Despite the introduction of frontline anti-PD-L1 therapy, survival remains dismal among patients with ES-SCLC treated in the real-world setting.

Treatment patterns for patients with BRCA1/2-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with BRCA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) have an aggressive disease course. This study aimed to describe real-world treatment patterns among patients with BRCA-positive mCRPC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: De-identified electronic health record data from the Flatiron Health-Foundation Medicine Inc. Metastatic Prostate Cancer Clinico-Genomic Database (January 01, 2011 to June 30, 2022) were used to select patients with BRCA-positive mCRPC initiating first-line (1L) therapy with an oncologist-defined advanced line of therapy (LOT) or androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) monotherapy. Treatment sequences and reasons for censoring were described in 1L, and among patients who initiated a second-line (2L) therapy. RESULTS: A total of 98 treated patients with BRCA-positive mCRPC were identified. The top 3 treatment regimens in 1L, overall, were ADT monotherapy (19%), enzalutamide (14%), and olaparib (13%). The main reason for censoring patients with ADT monotherapy was death (52.6%). Among 79 patients treated with an advanced LOT in 1L, 43.0% (n = 34) did not initiate a 2L therapy, of which, 29.4% died. In patients who initiated a 2L (n = 45), the most common 1L to 2L treatment sequence was olaparib to docetaxel (11.1%). The most prescribed 2L therapies were docetaxel (22.2%), olaparib (20.0%), abiraterone acetate (13.3%), and enzalutamide (11.1%). From 1L initiation, the median time-to-next-treatment was 6.2 months. CONCLUSION: Among patients with BRCA-positive mCRPC, ADT monotherapy, enzalutamide, and olaparib were most commonly used. Prognosis of BRCA-positive patients was poor, with most patients failing initial therapy resulting in a switch to a new therapy or death. These findings highlight the need for earlier and more effective treatments for patients with BRCA-positive mCRPC.

Real-world use patterns, effectiveness, and tolerability of sacituzumab govitecan for second-line and later-line treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer in the United States.

PURPOSE: Patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) have poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Sacituzumab govitecan (SG), a Trop-2-directed antibody-drug conjugate, is approved for patients with mTNBC who have received ≥ 2 systemic therapies (≥ 1 in the metastatic setting) based on the ASCENT study (NCT02574455). The current study describes real-world SG use and outcomes in patients with mTNBC in the United States. METHODS: This retrospective, observational study included adult patients with mTNBC from the ConcertAI Patient360™ database who received SG in the second line (2L) and later from April 2020 to May 2022. SG use patterns, effectiveness, and tolerability are described. RESULTS: This analysis included 230 patients (median age 60 years, 26% Black, 17% with ECOG performance status ≥ 2, 66% in community settings; median of 2 prior lines of treatment in the metastatic setting); median follow-up was 7.2 months. Median (95% CI) real-world overall survival was 10.0 (8.3-11.1) months for all patients and 13.9 (9.8-not estimable) months in the 2L subgroup (n = 77). Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) was administered concomitantly with SG in 134 (58%) patients; 35 (15%) received G-CSF for the first time. Median (IQR) time from SG start to G-CSF use was 8.5 (8.0-29.0) days. Seventeen (7%) patients discontinued SG due to toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Using a real-world, ethnically diverse population of patients with mTNBC presenting with poor prognosis, these data reinforced the findings from ASCENT. In routine clinical practice, SG is an effective treatment in the 2L setting, consistent with treatment guidelines.

Medical Therapy Before, During and After Hospitalization in Medicare Beneficiaries With Heart Failure and Diabetes: Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Registry.

BACKGROUND: Patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are at risk for worsening clinical status. Little is known about the frequency of therapeutic changes during hospitalization. We characterized the use of medical therapies before, during and after hospitalization in patients with HF and DM. METHODS: We identified Medicare beneficiaries in Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) hospitalized between July 2014 and September 2019 with Part D prescription coverage. We evaluated trends in the use of 7 classes of antihyperglycemic therapies (metformin, sulfonylureas, GLP-1RA, SGLT2-inhibitors, DPP-4 inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, and insulins) and 4 classes of HF therapies (evidence-based ß-blockers, ACEi or ARB, MRA, and ARNI). Medication fills were assessed at 6 and 3 months before hospitalization, at hospital discharge and at 3 months post-discharge. RESULTS: Among 35,165 Medicare beneficiaries, the median age was 77 years, 54% were women, and 76% were white; 11,660 (33%) had HFrEF (LVEF ≤ 40%), 3700 (11%) had HFmrEF (LVEF 41%-49%), and 19,805 (56%) had HFpEF (LVEF ≥ 50%). Overall, insulin was the most commonly prescribed antihyperglycemic after HF hospitalization (n = 12,919, 37%), followed by metformin (n = 7460, 21%) and sulfonylureas (n = 7030, 20%). GLP-1RA (n = 700, 2.0%) and SGLT2i (n = 287, 1.0%) use was low and did not improve over time. In patients with HFrEF, evidence-based beta-blocker, RASi, MRA, and ARNI fills during the 6 months preceding HF hospitalization were 63%, 62%, 19%, and 4%, respectively. Fills initially declined prior to hospitalization, but then rose from 3 months before hospitalization to discharge (beta-blocker: 56%-82%; RASi: 51%-57%, MRA: 15%-28%, ARNI: 3%-6%, triple therapy: 8%-20%; P < 0.01 for all). Prescription rates 3 months after hospitalization were similar to those at hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: In-hospital optimization of medical therapy in patients with HF and DM is common in participating hospitals of a large US quality improvement registry.

Treatment patterns in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis using abaloparatide: a real-world observational study.

Review of medical records from 173 women with osteoporosis who received abaloparatide treatment revealed that 96.0% had at least one visit for osteoporosis management and 55.5% had medication support group access. The most common reasons for discontinuing treatment were financial (31.2%) and tolerability (22.8%). Most patients (64.8%) completed treatment as prescribed. PURPOSE: Abaloparatide is approved for the treatment of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at high risk for fracture. This study evaluated real-world treatment patterns for patients new to abaloparatide, regardless of osteoporosis treatment history. METHODS: Data for patients with ≥ 1 prescription for abaloparatide were collected retrospectively from six academic and clinical practice settings across the US. RESULTS: A total of 173 patients were enrolled (mean [SD] age, 69.8 [7.4] years). At the time of abaloparatide treatment initiation, 78.6% had received other osteoporosis medications. Mean (SD) time from discontinuation of osteoporosis medications prior to initiation of abaloparatide was 1.7 (3.2) years. Twenty-four months of follow-up data from the initiation date of abaloparatide was collected from 94.0% of patients and 6.0% of patients had 12-24 months of follow-up. During the follow-up period, 96.0% of patients had at least one visit for osteoporosis management and 55.5% had access to a medication support program. The median duration of therapy was 18.6 months and 105/162 (64.8%) completed abaloparatide treatment as prescribed. The most common reasons for treatment discontinuation were financial (31.2%) and tolerability (22.8%). Following completion of a course of treatment with abaloparatide, 82/162 (50.6%) patients transitioned to another osteoporosis medication. The median time between abaloparatide treatment course completion and the initiation of follow-on medication was 21 days. CONCLUSION: Most patients completed treatment with abaloparatide as prescribed, and over half continued with an antiresorptive agent. This favorable conduct may be the result of regular follow-up visits and accessibility to both medication and patient support services.

Treatment patterns and patient journey in progressive pulmonary fibrosis: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: For patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) presenting with a progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) phenotype, current knowledge of disease characteristics at diagnosis, patient journey, and treatment is limited. This study aimed to describe demographics and clinical experiences of patients presenting with PPF in a European real-world setting. METHODS: Data were analysed from the Adelphi Real World PPF-ILD Disease Specific Programme™, a cross-sectional survey of pulmonologists and rheumatologists in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom) and internal medicine specialists (France) from April to October 2022. Physicians provided data for up to 12 consecutive patients with physician-confirmed ILD with a progressive phenotype other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Analyses were descriptive. RESULTS: Overall, 265 physicians reported on 1,335 patients. Mean (standard deviation) age at survey date was 60.4 (11.6) years, 91.2% were white, 58.1% female, 44.0% non-smokers. Most patients (63.3%) first consulted a primary care physician. There was a mean delay of 7.8 (22.7) months between first ILD symptom and healthcare professional visit, and another 7.7 (12.8) months to ILD diagnosis. At survey date, 47.7% of patients had physician-reported moderate ILD, 42.3% had mild ILD and 10.0% had severe ILD. Disease progression was reported in the 12 months prior to the survey for 19.5% of patients; of these, progression was based on worsening symptom in 27.3% and lung function decline in 25.8%. For patients experiencing symptoms prior to ILD diagnosis (72.8%), the most common symptoms were dyspnoea on exertion (80.5%) and cough (57.8%). Overall, 17.4% of patients were misdiagnosed prior to ILD diagnosis, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease suspected in 39.2% of them. The most frequent comorbidities were anxiety (16.9%) and gastroesophageal reflux (15.5%). Although 77.8% of patients were receiving treatment for ILD at survey date, 15.6% of patients had never been prescribed treatment for ILD. CONCLUSIONS: This real-world study expands our understanding of patients, diagnostic delays and treatment gaps experienced by patients diagnosed with PPF in Europe. There was a mean delay of 15.5 months between first ILD symptoms and ILD diagnosis. Given the progressive nature of PPF, diagnostic delay may lead to poor outcomes, including shorter survival. TRIAL REGISTRATION: N/a.

Survival outcome of different treatment sequences in patients with locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Despite some therapeutic advances, improvement in survival rates of unresectable and/or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been minimal over recent decade. We aimed to evaluate the impact of different treatment sequences on clinical outcomes of advanced PDAC at our academic institution. METHODS: In this single institution retrospective analysis, we assessed characteristics and survival rates of unresectable and/or metastatic pancreatic PDAC patients who started a systemic treatment between 01/2015 and 12/2021. Survival analyses were performed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The number of 285 patients received at least two lines of treatment, but only 137 patients were suitable for third-line treatment. Subgroup analysis showed that thirty-seven patients received A line (gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel combined therapy to FOLFIRINOX) therapy, 37 patients received B line (nab-paclitaxel combined therapy to gemcitabine combined therapy to FOLFIRINOX) therapy, 21 patients received C line (nab-paclitaxel combined therapy to gemcitabine combined therapy to oxaliplatin or irinotecan combined therapy) therapy. Survival rates for different treatment lines were significantly different and median overall survival (OS) was 14.00, 18.00, and 14.00 months, respectively (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study provides real-world evidence for the effectiveness of different treatment sequences and underscores the treatment sequences on survival outcome when considering the entire management in advanced PDAC.

Recent trends in incidence, survival and treatment of multiple myeloma in Finland - a nationwide cohort study.

This study aimed to determine the incidence and prevalence of multiple myeloma (MM) in Finland in 2015-2019, to characterize adult patients newly diagnosed with MM, and to follow-up their overall survival (OS) and treatment patterns until the end of 2020. We sourced the data on inpatient and outpatient diagnoses, outpatient medication use, and date of death from comprehensive, nationwide registers. We identified 2037 incident patients with MM in 2015-2019. On average, the annual crude incidence was 8.8 and the age-standardized incidence (World Standard Population) was 3.3 per 100,000. The crude prevalence at the end of 2019 was 32.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants ≥ 18 years of age. Median age of the patients at first diagnosis (index date) was 71 years, and 48% were female, the median follow-up being 2.4 years. The median OS was estimated at 4.5 years. The proportion of the patients receiving autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) within one year since the index date was 24%, with little variation across study years. Conversely, the proportion of all patients receiving lenalidomide within one year since the index date increased from 27 to 48% overall, and from 39 to 81% among ASCT recipients. The estimated median relapse-free survival after ASCT was 2.9 years. Information on in-hospital MM medication administrations was available for a subset of the study cohort. In this subset, 85.8% of the patients received immunomodulatory drugs and/or proteasome inhibitors within the first year after the index date.

Healthcare resource utilization of patients with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia initiating first line therapy of oral corticosteroids with or without rituximab.

This retrospective cohort study described real-world treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) of patients with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA) initiating treatment with first-line (1L) oral corticosteroids (OCS) + rituximab (R) compared to 1L OCS. Patients with a wAIHA diagnosis code (D59.11) between 8/2020-3/2022 were identified using US pharmacy and medical claims databases. Patients initiating 1L OCS ± R were identified (date of initiation = 'index date') with a 1-year pre-index period and a variable (minimum 1-year) follow-up period. The final sample comprised 77 1L OCS + R patients and 400 1L OCS patients (~ 60% female, mean age > 64 years). Over the 1-year follow-up, HCRU was higher in the OCS + R cohort with higher mean number of physician office visits (22.9 and 14.4; p < 0.01), including hematology/oncology office visits, and higher utilization of rescue therapy (59.7% and 33.3%; p < 0.01), driven by higher use of injectable corticosteroids. Patients in OCS + R and OCS groups completed 1L therapy after a similar mean duration of 103.5 and 134.6 days, respectively (p = 0.24). In the majority of patients, second-line (2L) therapy was initiated at a similar timepoint: 66.2% OCS + R and 72.0% OCS cohorts (p = 0.31) initiated 2L in a mean of 218.3 and 203.2 days (p = 0.76) after the end of 1L treatment, respectively. The addition of rituximab in 1L did not extend the remission period, with most patients in both cohorts initiating 2L therapy within less than 1 year of completing 1L treatment. 1L OCS + R patients also had substantial HCRU burden. More effective novel therapies are needed to address the high unmet need in wAIHA.

Health care services utilization in patients with ovarian cancer receiving PARP inhibitor maintenance treatment in a US community oncology setting.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to describe healthcare resource use (HCRU) in addition to treatment patterns and discontinuations, in patients with ovarian cancer (OC) initiating PARP inhibitor (PARPi) maintenance treatment in a US community oncology setting. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with OC initiating PARPi monotherapy maintenance during 01/01/2017 to 06/30/2019 (followed until 12/31/2019). Patients aged ≥18 years at first diagnosis of OC with ≥2 visits within The US Oncology Network were included. Structured and chart review data as well as claims data were used to describe treatment patterns and HCRU. RESULTS: Of the 162 charts reviewed, the median age of patients was 66 years and 80% had stage III or IV disease at diagnosis. In the niraparib, rucaparib and olaparib groups, proportions of patients experiencing dose interruptions were 51%, 50%, and 28%, and discontinuations due to toxicity were 37%, 17% and 15%, respectively. Within the first 6 months, mean numbers of total claims were 43.5, 56.4, and 36.0 in the niraparib, rucaparib, and olaparib groups, and laboratory claims were 13.9, 19.4, and 15.6, respectively. Proportions of patients with hospitalizations (niraparib 40%, rucaparib 32%, olaparib 19%; p = 0.03), also differed as did emergency department visits (niraparib 37%, rucaparib 23%, olaparib 16%; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Despite patients initiating niraparib having higher rates of dose management events and toxicity-related discontinuations, outpatient and laboratory utilization were similar across all three PARPi. Adequate monitoring of these medications, with differing toxicities, should be emphasized to potentially decrease dose reductions and toxicities.

Practice patterns, time trends and quality of care of uterine cancer in Belgium: An analysis of the EFFECT database.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the practice patterns and quality of care for uterine cancer on a national level in Belgium, including trends in practice over the period 2012-2016. METHODS: Quality indicators were measured using the EFFectiveness of Endometrial Cancer Treatment (EFFECT) database. Multivariable logistic mixed regression was used to test for associations between the quality indicators and year of diagnosis, adjusted for potential confounders and intra-cluster correlations. RESULTS: The EFFECT database includes 4178 patients diagnosed with uterine cancer in the period 2012-2016. Minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic or robotic-assisted) was applied in 61.6% of patients who had surgery for clinical stage I endometrial carcinoma (EC), increasing from 52.9% in 2012 to 66.4% in 2016. At least pelvic lymph node staging was performed in 69.0% of patients with clinical stage I, high-grade EC; and in 63.9% of patients with clinical stage I-II serous carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma or carcinosarcoma. The latter increased from 48.8% in 2012 to 77.2% in 2016. Adjuvant radiotherapy (external beam and/or brachytherapy) was offered to 33.5% of patients who had surgery without lymph node staging for pathological stage I EC at high-intermediate or high risk of recurrence. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 64.4% of patients with pathological stage III-IVA EC. CONCLUSIONS: Study results indicate an overall good quality of care for patients with uterine cancer in Belgium. Treatment areas with potential room for improvement include the use of minimally invasive surgery, comprehensive surgical staging and adjuvant therapy, which confirms the remaining controversies in uterine cancer treatment and the need for further research.

Real-world treatment patterns in patients initiating third-line therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain.

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively analyze real-world treatment patterns in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who initiated third-line treatment in Europe. METHODS: German and Italian administrative claims data were sourced from the German AOK PLUS health insurance fund and Italian local health units (2016-2020). Data for the United Kingdom (UK), France, and Spain were sourced from medical chart reviews (MCRs) from 2016 to 2018 (historical) and 2019 to 2021 (new) using electronic case report forms. RESULTS: Across all countries, immunomodulatory imide drug (IMiD)-based regimens were prominent in the third-line setting. From 2016 to 2020, lenalidomide-dexamethasone was most common in Italy (18.0%) and Germany (12.7%). From 2019 to 2021, the most common regimen was ixazomib-lenalidomide-dexamethasone (67.5%) in the UK, pomalidomide-dexamethasone (17.1%) in France, and daratumumab-bortezomib-dexamethasone (15.0%) in Spain. In the historical data (2016-2018), third-line lenalidomide- and pomalidomide-dexamethasone doublet use across the UK (>47%), France (>46%), and Spain (>33%) was high. From historical to new, triplet use increased in Spain (>19% to >60%) as did anti-CD38 agent use in France (15.1% to 51.9%) and Spain (19.7% to 42.1%). CONCLUSIONS: From 2016 to 2021, third-line regimens were mostly IMiD based. The MCR data demonstrated evolving treatment choices from 2016 to 2018 and 2019 to 2021, providing insights into uptake of novel agents and current RRMM European clinical practice.

Treatment patterns and persistence on disease modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis and its associated factors.

BACKGROUND: Effective interventions for Multiple Sclerosis require timely treatment optimization which usually involves switching disease modifying therapies. The patterns of prescription and the reasons for changing treatment in people with MS, especially in low prevalence populations, are unknown. OBJECTIVES: To describe the persistence, reasons of DMT switches and prescription patterns in a cohort of Colombian people with MS. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study including patients with confirmed MS with at least one visit at our centre. We estimated the overall incidence rate of medication changes and assessed the persistence on medication with Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for individual medications and according to efficacy and mode of administration. The factors associated with changing medications were assessed using adjusted Cox proportional-hazards models. The reasons for switching medication changes were described, and the prescription patterns were assessed using network analysis, with measures of centrality. RESULTS: Seven hundred one patients with MS were included. Mean age was 44.3 years, and 67.9% were female. Mean disease duration was 11.3 years and 84.5% had relapsing MS at onset, with median EDSS of 1.0. Treatment was started in 659 (94%) of the patients after a mean of 3 years after MS symptom onset. Among them, 39.5% maintained their initial DMT, 29.9% experienced a single DMT change, while 18.7% went through two, and 11.9% had three or more DMT changes until the final follow-up. The total number of treatment modifications reached 720, resulting in an incidence rate of 1.09 (95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.17) per patient per year The median time to change after the first DMT was 3.75 years, and was not different according to the mode of administration or efficacy classification. The main reasons for changing DMT were MS activity (relapses, 56.7%; MRI activity, 18.6%), followed by non-serious adverse events (15.3%) and disability (11.1%). Younger age at MS onset, care under our centre and insurer status were the main determinants of treatment change. Network analysis showed that interferons and fingolimod were the most influential DMTs. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of patients switch medications, mostly due to disease activity, and in association with age and insurer status.

A 3-year follow-up study of outcomes associated with patterns of traditional acute and preventive migraine treatment: An administrative claims-based cohort study in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To describe treatment patterns and direct healthcare costs over 3 years following initiation of standard of care acute and preventive migraine medications in patients with migraine in the United States. BACKGROUND: There are limited data on long-term (>1 year) migraine treatments patterns and associated outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational cohort study using US claims data from the IBM® MarketScan® Research Database (January 2010-December 2017). Adults were included if they had a prescription claim for acute migraine treatments (AMT) or preventive migraine treatments (PMT) in the index period (January 2011-December 2014). The AMT cohort was categorized as persistent, cycled, or added-on subgroups; the PMT cohort was categorized PMT-persistent, switched without gaps, or cycled with gaps. Migraine-specific annual direct costs (2017 US$) across AMT and PMT cohort subgroups were summarized at baseline through 3 years from index (follow-up). RESULTS: During the index period, 20,778 and 42,259 patients initiated an AMT and a PMT, respectively. At the 3-year follow-up, migraine-specific direct costs were lower in the persistent subgroup relative to the non-persistent subgroups in both AMT (mean [SD]: $789 [$1741] vs. $2847 [$8149] in the added-on subgroup and $862 [$5426] for the cycled subgroup) and PMT cohorts (mean [SD]: $1817 [$5892] in the persistent subgroup vs. $4257 [$11,392] in the switched without gaps subgroup and $3269 [$18,540] in the cycled with gaps subgroup). Acute medication overuse was lower in the persistent subgroup (1025/6504 [27.2%]) vs. non-persistent subgroups (11,236/58,863 [32.2%] in cycled with gaps subgroup and 1431/6504 [39.4%] in the switched without gaps subgroup). Most patients used multiple acute (19,717/20,778 [94.9%]) or preventive (38,494/42,259 [91.1%]) pharmacological therapies over 3 years following treatment initiation. Gaps in preventive therapy were common; an average gap ranged from 85 to 211 days (~3-7 months). CONCLUSION: Migraine-specific annual healthcare costs and acute migraine medication overuse remained lowest among patients with persistent AMT and PMT versus non-persistent treatment. Study findings are limited to the US population. Future studies should compare costs and associated outcomes between newer preventive migraine medications in patients with migraine.

Bacterial Vaginosis Treatment Patterns, Associated Complications, and Health Care Economic Burden of Women With Medicaid Coverage in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a highly prevalent vaginal infection. OBJECTIVES: Primary objectives of this study were to examine treatment patterns among female patients with Medicaid coverage who were diagnosed with incident BV, the frequency of BV-associated complications, and health care resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs of incident BV and its recurrence. Secondary objectives were to identify predictors of total all-cause health care costs and number of treatment courses. METHODS: Female patients aged 12-49 years with an incident vaginitis diagnosis and ≥1 pharmacy claim for a BV medication were selected from the Merative MarketScan Medicaid database (2017-2020). Additional treatment courses were evaluated during a ≥12-month follow-up period, in which new cases of BV-associated complications and HCRU and the associated costs were also measured. Generalized linear models were used to identify baseline predictors of total all-cause health care costs and number of treatment courses. RESULTS: An incident vaginitis diagnosis and ≥1 BV medication claim were present in 114 313 patients (mean age: 28.4 years; 48.6% black). During the follow-up, 56.6% had 1 treatment course, 24.9% had 2, 10.2% had 3, and 8.3% had ≥4; 43.4% had BV recurrence. Oral metronidazole (88.5%) was the most frequently prescribed medication. Nearly 1 in 5 had a new occurrence of a BV-associated complication; most (76.6%) were sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Total all-cause and BV-related costs averaged $5794 and $300, respectively, per patient; both increased among those with more treatment courses. Older age, pregnancy, comorbidity, any STIs, postprocedural gynecological infection (PGI), and infertility were predictive of higher total all-cause health care costs, while race/ethnicity other than white was predictive of lower costs. Older age, black race, any STIs, pelvic inflammatory disease, and PGI were predictive of >1 treatment courses. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: The high recurrence of BV represents an unmet need in women's health care and better treatments are necessary.

Real-world treatment patterns, survival, health resource use and costs among Medicare beneficiaries with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Aim: To examine real-world treatment patterns, survival, healthcare resource use and costs in elderly Medicare beneficiaries with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods: 11,880 Medicare patients aged ≥66 years with DLBCL between 1 October 2015 and 31 December 2018 were followed for ≥12 months after initiating front-line treatment. Results: Two-thirds (61.2%) of the patients received standard-of-care R-CHOP as first-line treatment. Hospitalization was common (57%) in the 12-months after initiation of 1L treatment; the mean DLCBL-related total costs were US$84,416 during the same period. Over a median follow-up of 2.1 years, 17.8% received at least 2L treatment. Overall survival was lower among later lines of treatment (median overall survival from initiation of 1L: not reached; 2L: 19.9 months; 3L: 9.8 months; 4L: 5.5 months). Conclusion: A large unmet need exists for more efficacious and well-tolerated therapies for older adults with DLBCL.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common form of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and it becomes more common with age. While researchers continue to develop newer, more effective treatments for DLBCL, it is important to understand how patients use existing treatments and the associated costs, particularly among the elderly. In our real-world analysis of nearly 12,000 older patients with DLBCL, we found high rates of hospitalization and hospice use, short length of life in later lines of therapy and substantial healthcare costs. Our findings suggest a large current unmet need for more effective and well-tolerated therapies for older adults with DLBCL in both the front-line and relapse/refractory settings.

Real-world utilization of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab combination therapy for the treatment of endometrial cancer in the USA.

Aim: Describe treatment and dosing patterns of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab combination therapy (lenva+pembro) among endometrial cancer (EC) patients in US clinical practice. Materials & methods: Retrospective cohort study among adults with EC initiating lenva+pembro in second line (2L) or third line and later (≥3L) between 17 September 2019 and 30 June 2021. Results: 110 patients initiated lenva+pembro in 2L and 135 patients in ≥3L. Majority of patients initiated lenva+pembro at label-recommended starting doses/interval. Less than half changed lenvatinib dose over time. At median follow-up of 7.3 and 8.7 months, median (95% CI) duration of therapy was 5.1 (4.7-6.1) and 5.8 (4.2-7.3) months for patients in 2L and ≥3L, respectively. Conclusion: Lenva+pembro was mostly initiated at label-recommended dose.

This study looked at details of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab combination treatment among patients with endometrial cancer (EC) in the USA. Specifically, these patients had received prior chemotherapy or hormone therapy before starting lenvatinib and pembrolizumab. Most patients started lenvatinib and pembrolizumab at the dose recommended by the product label and received the next pembrolizumab injection within the recommended timeframe. Over time, more than half of the patients did not change the dose of lenvatinib, and most patients had the same dose of pembrolizumab. On average, patients were treated with lenvatinib and pembrolizumab for 5­6 months. This study showed that in general, patients were taking lenvatinib and pembrolizumab for treatment of EC as recommended by product labels.

Abemaciclib for treating patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer: a real-world study in France, Italy and Spain.

Aim: This real-world study aimed to describe patient and clinical characteristics, treatment patterns and outcomes for patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer receiving abemaciclib in France, Italy and Spain. Materials & methods: A multicenter chart review was conducted for adult females with HR+/HER2- advanced/metastatic breast cancer who received abemaciclib in routine care. Real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) was estimated via Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: This study included 151, 173 and 175 patients from France, Italy and Spain, respectively. Abemaciclib was mostly prescribed as first-line therapy concomitantly with hormone therapy. Median rwPFS was >20 months and the 1-year rwPFS rate was >70%. Conclusion: Effectiveness was similar across the three countries and aligns with pivotal studies.

Abemaciclib use in the clinic in France, Italy & SpainThis study describes patients, the treatments they have received and the results of those treatments for patients with the most common type of advanced breast cancer. These patients were taking abemaciclib plus hormonal therapy in routine breast cancer care in France, Italy and Spain. The information used to conduct this study was taken from patients' medical charts. In this real-world study, abemaciclib was mostly used as the initial treatment for advanced breast cancer. Abemaciclib effectiveness was similar across the three countries confirming findings from previous studies. Our study supports the use of abemaciclib for patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer.