Phase-Based and Lifetime Health System Costs of Care for Patients Diagnosed with Leukemia and Lymphoma - A Population-Based Descriptive Study

Sep 21, 2026

Hematologic cancers, notably leukemia and lymphoma, create substantial pressures on healthcare systems due to rising incidence and escalating expenditures. This population-based descriptive study estimated phase-based and lifetime total (not net) health system costs for patients diagnosed in Ontario, Canada between 2005 and 2019, using Ontario Cancer Registry data linked to administrative health records. Costs were stratified by care phase and cancer subtype, with acute lymphocytic leukemia showing the highest initial and terminal monthly costs, and overall lifetime costs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and cancer burden in Canada

Methods

Data sources and study design

Costing approach by care phase

Results

Phase-specific and lifetime cost patterns by subtype

Key cost drivers and cost evolution

Discussion

Implications for cost control and quality improvement

Conclusion

Article Phase-Based and Lifetime Health System Costs of Care for Patients Diagnosed with Leukemia and Lymphoma: A Population-Based Descriptive Study Anubhav Agarwal 1, Natasha Kekre 1,2,3, Harold Atkins 2,3, Haris Imsirovic 2, Brian Hutton 1,2,4, Doug Coyle 1 and Kednapa Thavorn 1,2, * Citation: Agarwal, A.; Kekre, N.; Atkins, H.; Imsirovic, H.; Hutton, B.; Coyle, D.; Thavorn, K. Phase-Based and Lifetime Health System Costs of Care for Patients Diagnosed with Leukemia and Lymphoma: A Population-Based Descriptive Study. Curr. Oncol. 2024, 31, 4192–4208 . [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)curroncol31080313 Received: 5 June 2024 Revised: 18 July 2024 Accepted: 19 July 2024 Published: 25 July 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z3, Canada 2 Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada 3 Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada 4 Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada * Correspondence: [kthavorn@ohri.ca](kthavorn@ohri.ca) Abstract: Hematologic cancers, notably leukemias and lymphomas, pose significant challenges to healthcare systems globally, due to rising incidence rates and increasing costs. This study aimed to estimate the phase and lifetime health system total costs (not net costs) of care for patients diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma in Ontario, Canada. We conducted a population-based study of patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2019, using data from the Ontario Cancer Registry linked with health administrative databases. Costs were estimated using a phase-based approach and stratified by care phase and cancer subtype. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) patients had the highest mean monthly initial (CAD 19,519) and terminal (CAD 41,901) costs among all cancer subtypes, while acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients had the highest mean monthly cost (CAD 7185) during the continuing phase. Overall lifetime costs were highest for ALL patients (CAD 778,795), followed by AML patients (CAD 478,516) . Comparatively, patients diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (CAD 268,184) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (CAD 321,834) had lower lifetime costs. Major cost drivers included inpatient care, emergency department visits, same-day surgeries, ambulatory services, and specialized cancer drugs. Since 2005, the cost structure has evolved with rising proportions of interventional drug costs. Additionally, costs were higher among males and younger age groups. Understanding these costs can help guide initiatives to control healthcare spending and improve cancer care quality. Keywords: leukemia; lymphoma; Ontario; health system costs; lifetime costs; phase-based costing; joinpoint modelling 1. Introduction According to the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), blood cancers account for about 10% of all new cancer cases and about 3% of all cancer deaths in Canada [1] . Its incidence in Canada has been increasing over the past few decades. In 2023, it was estimated that there would be approximately 18,400 new cases of leukemia and lymphoma cancers in Canada and an estimated 6300 deaths from these cancers. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma alone accounts for 10,900 new cases and 3100 deaths out of those totals, and 6400 new cases and 3100 deaths out of those were estimated to be of leukemias [1] . Although the number of new cases of cancer is increasing every year, Canada has made remarkable progress in the field of cancer prevention, detection, and treatment since the early 1990s. High-quality clinical and translational rese

FAQs

What was the study’s main objective?

To estimate phase-based and lifetime total health system costs for patients diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma in Ontario, Canada.

Which patients and diagnosis period were included?

Patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2019 were identified using the Ontario Cancer Registry linked to health administrative databases.

What cost drivers contributed most to overall expenses?

Inpatient care, emergency department visits, same-day surgeries, ambulatory services, and specialized cancer drugs were major cost drivers.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Theodore