Survival, treatment duration and costs of patients with prostate cancer treated with triptorelin in Italy: a study of administrative databases

Authors

  • Orazio Caffo Department of Medical Oncology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento - Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7968-2531
  • Gaetano Facchini Medical Oncology Unit, ‘S. Maria delle Grazie’ Hospital-Pozzuoli, Napoli - Italy
  • Luca Degli Esposti CliCon S.r.l. Società Benefit, Health, Economics & Outcomes Research, Bologna - Italy
  • Valentina Acciai IPSEN, Milan - Italy
  • Giorgio Mauri IPSEN, Milan - Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7689-6460
  • Paola Mazzanti IPSEN, Milan - Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2605-4879
  • Giuseppe Fornarini Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova - Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33393/grhta.2024.3055

Keywords:

Administrative databases, Prostate cancer, Real-world studies, Treatment, Triptorelin

Abstract

Background: Several data support the efficacy/effectiveness, safety and favorable impact on quality of life of triptorelin treatment in patients with prostate cancer. However, little evidence is available concerning triptorelin use in the long term.

Methods: We analyzed data on triptorelin treatment in patients with prostate cancer in an integrated Italian administrative database, covering around 6 million health-assisted subjects throughout the country. Patients with at least one prescription for triptorelin in the period 2010-2020 and with no evidence of metastasis were included and followed up until 2021. Overall survival (OS) and duration of treatment were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves, starting from the date of first prescription.

Results: The cohort included a total of 3,411 patients (mean age: 76.8 ± 8.7 years), of whom 1,326 (38.9%) were treated with triptorelin only and 2,085 (61.1%) with triptorelin combined with an anti-androgen. Overall, 847 (24.8%) patients with prostate cancer died and 1,037 (30.4%) had a treatment switch during the follow-up period, and both the median OS and median duration of treatment were not reached in both groups. The mean annual total cost per patient was estimated as 5,574 €, with almost half of the costs related to medication expenses (2,737 €).

Conclusions: We found a long survival and duration of triptorelin treatment in this population of Italian patients with prostate cancer. This study with a long follow-up period further highlights the usefulness of healthcare utilization databases to integrate results obtained from clinical studies with those from everyday clinical practice.

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