Real-World Predictors of Financial Toxicity in Patients with Lymphoma

Background:

Financial toxicity (FT), or the negative impact of medical expenses experienced by patients, is a known adverse effect of cancer treatment that result in worse health outcomes for patients. However, there is limited literature investigating FT in lymphoma with even less data on predictors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic factors. As lymphoma treatment options expand, it is vital to understand the impact of these treatments on patients' financial well-being. We investigate FT through patient reported outcomes from the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO), a large multi-institution prospective cohort study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Methods:

Patients with newly diagnosed NHL were enrolled into the LEO cohort from 2015-2020. Clinical, pathology and treatment data were abstracted from medical records, and participants were offered self-administered surveys at enrollment and selected follow-up time points. Participants were included if they completed at least four of six survey questions on FT adapted from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) within the first year after diagnosis. Questions focused on either material hardship (unable to cover costs; file for bankruptcy; borrow money; work extra job or hours) or psychological stress (worried about paying large medical bills). We evaluated FT as answering positively to any question (any vs none). Associations with FT were evaluated using chi-squared tests. All analyses were performed using R (v4.2.2).

Results:

3202 patients completed at least four survey questions relating to FT. Mean age at diagnosis was 62 years (18-94), 56% were male, and majority identified as white (90%). Characteristics associated with FT are reported (p<0.001). FT was more likely in younger patients: 18-25 years (64%, 30/47), 26-44 years (73%, 299/313), and 45-64 years (58%, 799/1375) as compared to those 65-79 years (36%, 459/1272) and ≥80 years (35%, 69/195).

FT was highest in patients without a high school diploma (54%, 45/84), followed by patients with a high school diploma (52%, 209/402), and an associate's degree (57%, 358/627). It was lowest in patients with a bachelor's (45%, 224/296) or post-graduate degree (39.6%, 216/545). Higher FT was seen in those receiving disability income (65%, 47/72); whereas less FT was seen in retired patients (36%, 299/828). FT rates inversely correlated with income: 65% for income < $21,000 (184/283), 61% for $21,000- $39,999 (224/370) and 60% for $40,000-$65,999 (293/491). Lower FT noted for income range of $66,000-$106,000 (47%, 323/681) or > $106,000 (37%, 324/872). Patients separated from a partner (82.9%, 19/23) had the highest FT, followed by patients living with a partner (64%, 48/75), divorced (56%, 103/184), and never married (53.4%, 79/148). Patients who were married (47%, 793/1672) or widowed (41%, 60/146) reported the lowest FT.

Higher FT was reported in DLBCL (55%, 631/1146), MCL (55%, 172/315), and TCL (53%, 119/226) when compared to FL (44%, 327/746), MZL (44%, 137/316), and other NHL (44%, 200/453). This is likely related to treatment as more FT was seen in patients who received an anthracycline and/or alkylator containing therapy (54%, 1066/1963) versus non-systemic (43%, 120/278) and observation (35%, 168/483).

In multivariable analyses, FT strongly correlated with age at diagnosis, household income, and treatment type. The odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals for the most significant category within each variable are as follows: age per 1 year (0.96, [0.95-0.97]), income > $106,000 vs < $21,000 (0.28, [0.21-0.38]), and observation vs anthracycline and/or alkylator (0.56, [0.44-0.71]).

Conclusion:

Nearly 50% of patients with lymphoma experience FT, seen as material hardship and psychological stress, within the first year of diagnosis. Patients with a younger age (18-44), less education, and lower household income reported higher levels of FT; whereas those who were retired or married/widowed reported lower FT. Lymphoma subtypes that require more anthracycline and/or alkylator containing therapy imposed higher FT. Understanding these risk factors can help clinicians identify patients who may benefit from additional resources during lymphoma management.

Nowakowski:Curis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bantam Pharmaceutical, LLC: Consultancy; Blueprint Medicines Corporation: Consultancy; Segen: Consultancy; Debiopharm: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics Inc: Consultancy; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; AbbVie Inc.: Consultancy; Ryvu Therapeutics: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Zai Laboratory: Consultancy; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kymera Therapeutics: Consultancy; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Limited: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Fate Therapeutics: Consultancy; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy; MorphoSys AG: Consultancy, Research Funding; MEI Pharma: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Selvita Inc: Consultancy. Lossos:Not specified: Patents & Royalties; University of Miami: Current Employment; ADCT: Research Funding. Martin:AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Beigene, Daiichi Sankyo, Genentech, Janssen, Merck, Pepromene: Consultancy. Cohen:Hutchmed: Consultancy, Research Funding; Nurix: Research Funding; Beigene: Consultancy; Lilly: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Astra Zeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Link:Genentech: Research Funding. Kahl:Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Lilly: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy; ADCT: Consultancy. Nastoupil:AbbVie: Honoraria; ADC Therapeutics: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria, Research Funding; Caribou Biosciences: Honoraria, Research Funding; Denovo Biopharma: Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Research Funding; Genentech: Honoraria, Research Funding; Genmab: Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead Sciences/Kite Pharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Merck: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Regeneron: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie, BMS, Caribou Biosciences, Genentech, Genmab, Gilead/Kite, Janssen, Incyte, Ipsen, Merck, Novartis, Regeneron, Takeda: Consultancy; BMS, Caribou Biosciences, Daiichi Sankyo, Genentech, Genmab, Gilead/Kite, Janssen, Incyte, Ipsen, Merck, Novartis, Takeda: Research Funding; Abbvie, BMS, Caribou Biosciences, Daiichi Sankyo, Genentech, Genmab, Gilead/Kite, Janssen, Incyte, Ipsen, Novartis, Takeda: Honoraria. Cerhan:GenMab: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Protagonist Therapeutics: Other: SMC. Flowers:Amgen: Research Funding; Nektar: Research Funding; Xencor: Research Funding; Spectrum: Consultancy; Seagen: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; N-Power Medicine: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Sanofi: Research Funding; BostonGene: Research Funding; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group: Research Funding; Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas: CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research: Research Funding; Genmab: Consultancy; Foresight Diagnostics: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Allogene: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics / Janssen: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Kite: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; 4D: Research Funding; Guardant: Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy; Cellectis: Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding; Iovance: Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Denovo Biopharma: Consultancy; Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Adaptimmune: Research Funding; EMD Serono: Research Funding; Ziopharm National Cancer Institute: Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bio Ascend: Consultancy; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding. Casulo:Gilead Sciences, Secura Bio: Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genmab: Research Funding; Verastem: Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.