Patterns of Chemotherapy Usage in Hospitalized Breast Cancer Patients
Aumkhae Sookprasert MD*, Jarin Chindaprasirt MD*, Kosin Wirasorn MD*, Panita Limpawattana MD**, Yupa Thavornpitak MSc***
Affiliation : * Division of Oncology, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand ** Division of Geriatric Medicine, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand *** Department of Biostatistics and Demography, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Background : Breast cancer is the leading cancer in Thai women. Systemic chemotherapy is one of the main treatment options
in both adjuvant and metastatic disease. Patterns of chemotherapy usage and hospital cost data are lacking.
Objective : To identify overall admission rate, chemotherapy admission and hospital cost data of breast cancer patients.
Material and Method: Information on illness of inpatients and casualties came from hospitals nationwide and from hospital
withdrawals from the three health insurance schemes in the fiscal 2010. The data included 96% of the population. The data
were analyzed by age groups, regions, hospital levels and insurance schemes in breast cancer patients.
Results : Admissions from breast cancer occurred for 35,490 in the year 2010. Admissions for systemic chemotherapy
account for 53.1% of all breast cancer admissions and accounted for 17.3% of all admissions for chemotherapy. Most of
chemotherapy admissions were in tertiary care hospital level. Mean length of stay for chemotherapy in breast cancer was 2.33
days compared to 5.30 days in other cancers. Mean hospital charge in for chemotherapy for breast cancer was 13,904 THB
compared to 33,693 THB for other cancers. The mean hospital charge three insurance schemes groups: government welfare,
social welfare and universal coverage were 33,096, 19,932 and 9,599 THB, respectively.
Conclusion : Admission rate for chemotherapy in breast cancer was not high. The cost of chemotherapy in each admission
in breast cancer is nearly 50% lesser than chemotherapy for other cancers. Thus, generic drugs usage and outpatient
administration of chemotherapy should be encouraged.
Keywords : Breast cancer, Breast neoplasm, Cost of illness
