Healthcare utilisation in patients with breast cancer or non‐ H odgkin lymphoma who experienced febrile neutropenia in the N etherlands: a retrospective matched control study using the PHARMO database

Few data have been published on healthcare resource utilisation associated with chemotherapy‐induced febrile neutropenia ( FN ) in E urope. Using the PHARMO record linkage system, we identified incident adult patients with a primary hospital discharge diagnosis of breast cancer ( BC ) or non‐ H odgkin lymphoma ( NHL ) from 1998 to 2008. Patients who experienced FN were matched 1:2 non‐ FN reference patients. Of 1033 BC patients, 80 (8%) had FN and were matched with 160 reference patients; and of 486 NHL patients, 95 (20%) had FN and 89 were matched with 178 reference patients. Significantly more FN patients were hospitalised for any cause than reference patients: BC , 81% vs. 24% ( OR 12.6; 95% CI 5.7–27.8); NHL , 82% vs. 44% ( OR 6.7; 95% CI 3.3–13.9). Median length of all‐cause hospitalisation stay was higher for FN patients: BC , 4.0 vs. 1.0 days; NHL , 8.5 vs. 1.8 days. The median (interquartile range) number of medication treatments was higher for FN patients: BC , 5.5 (4.0–7.5) vs. 2.0 (2.0–4.0); NHL , 8.0 (5.0–11.0) vs. 3.0 (2.0–4.0). In conclusion, FN in patients with BC or NHL had increased healthcare utilisation compared with non‐ FN patients; thus, efforts to reduce FN are warranted to reduce cost and improve outcomes.