Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions
NSCLC Cost and Survival Pre- and Post-Pathway
J Oncol Pract; ePub 2017 Mar 4, Jackman, et al
Costs decreased substantially after implementing a clinical pathway for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study involving 370 individuals. Moreover, survival was not compromised.
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) Pathways for NSCLC was initiated in 2014. Investigators looked at DFCI patients with stage IV disease before (n=160) and after (n=210) implementation. Among the results:
- After adjusting for certain variables, total 12-month cost of care was more than $67,000 in those managed pre-pathway, vs more than $52,000 in post-pathway patients.
- Antineoplastics agents were the largest source of cost savings.
- Median overall survival times was ~11 months in both groups.
The authors concluded that clinical pathways may provide a means to combine and spread institutional expertise, as well as monitor and learn about the impact of care decisions.
Jackman D, Zhang Y, Dalby C, et al. Cost and survival analysis before and after implementation of Dana-Farber clinical pathways for patients with stage IV non–small-cell lung cancer. [Published online ahead of print March 4, 2017]. J Oncol Pract. doi:10.1200/JOP.2017.021741.