Health care expenditures among long-term survivors of pediatric solid tumors: Results from the French Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (FCCSS) and the French network of cancer registries (FRANCIM)

PLoS One. 2022 May 26;17(5):e0267317. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267317. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Background: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) may require lifelong medical care due to late effects of cancer treatments. Little is known about of their healthcare utilization and expenditures at long-term especially in publicly funded health care system. We aim to estimate and describe the health care expenditures among long-term CCS in France.

Methods: A total of 5319 five-year solid CCS diagnosed before the age of 21 between 1945 and 2000 in France were identified in the French Childhood Cancer Survivors Study cohort (FCCSS) and the French cancer registry. Information about health care expenditure was taken from the French national health data system between 2011 and 2016, and was described according to survivors' characteristics. Generalized linear models were used to determine associations between health care expenditures and survivors' characteristics.

Results: Mean annual amount of healthcare expenditures was € 4,255. Expenditures on hospitalizations and pharmacy represents 60% of total expenditures. Mean annual of healthcare expenditures were higher at increasing age, among women survivors (€ 4,795 vs € 3,814 in men) and in central nervous system (CNS) tumor survivors (€ 7,116 vs € 3,366 in lymphoma and € 3,363 in other solid tumor survivors).

Conclusions: Childhood cancer survivorship is associated with a substantial economic burden in France. We found that female gender and CNS primary cancer were associated with increased healthcare expenditures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cancer Survivors*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Health Expenditures
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Registries
  • Survivors

Grants and funding

DBQ received a doctoral grant from the Paris-Saclay University (N° contract 9R_2019_PSU000101141_Upsud). This work was funded by the Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer (Grant N°RAB20035LLA). The FCCSS cohort was funded by the French Society of Cancer in Children and adolescents (SFCE), the Gustave Roussy Fondation - PSI Interval, the Foundation ARC (POPHarC program) and The French National Research Agency (ANR, HOPE-EPI project). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.