Comparative treatment costs of risk‐stratified therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in India

Abstract Background To evaluate the treatment cost and cost effectiveness of a risk‐stratified therapy to treat pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in India. Methods The cost of total treatment duration was calculated for a retrospective cohort of ALL children treated at a tertiary care facility. Children were risk stratified into standard (SR), intermediate (IR) and high (HR) for B‐cell precursor ALL, and T‐ALL. Cost of therapy was obtained from the hospital electronic billing systems and details of outpatient (OP) and inpatient (IP) from electronic medical records. Cost effectiveness was calculated in disability‐adjusted life years. Results One hundred and forty five patients, SR (50), IR (36), HR (39), and T‐ALL (20) were analyzed. Median cost of the entire treatment for SR, IR, HR, and T‐ALL was found to be $3900, $5500, $7400, and $8700, respectively, with chemotherapy contributing to 25%–35% of total cost. Out‐patient costs were significantly lower for SR (p