Real-world treatment patterns, resource use and costs of treating uncontrolled carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid heart disease: a retrospective Swedish study

AbstractObjectives: To quantify healthcare resource use (HRU) and costs in relation to carcinoid syndrome (CS) and carcinoid heart disease (CHD) in a real-world setting, and to provide perspective on treatment patterns.Materials and methods: Patient data and HRU were collected retrospectively from three Swedish healthcare registers. Adult patients diagnosed with metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) grade 1 or 2 and CS who purchased somatostatin analogs (SSAs), and experienced controlled (defined by SSAs use) and uncontrolled (defined by SSAs dose escalation) CS for ≥8 months during the study period were included. Patients diagnosed with CHD from the date of the GEP-NET diagnosis were included in the CHD study group.Results: Overall, total HRU cost increased with uncontrolled CS and CHD. Total resource cost was 15,500€/patient during controlled CS (8 months), rising to 21,700€/patient during uncontrolled CS (8 months), representing an increase of ∼40% (6200€/patient). Costs/pa...