Introduction: Lung cancer imposes a substantial economic burden on patients, healthcare systems, and societies due to its high prevalence and costs associated with diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care. Comorbidities in lung cancer patients can further complicate clinical management and increase healthcare utilization. This study investigated the impact of comorbidity patterns on healthcare costs in patients with lung cancer. Methods: A cohort of 1540 lung cancer patients in the Veneto region of Italy was divided into five groups based on comorbidity burden using latent class analysis: no comorbidities, only one comorbidity, and specific comorbidity classes (Class 1: cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine diseases; Class 2: multiorgan diseases; Class 3: socio-multifactorial neuro conditions). Using administrative data, both overall healthcare costs and lung cancer-specific costs were analyzed over three years. Results: Patients with one comorbidity class had the highest overall costs over three years from diagnosis (USD 52,039) and the highest lung-specific costs (USD 47,804). In contrast, patients in the Cardiovascular-Respiratory and Endocrine class incurred the lowest overall costs (USD 38,447). Additionally, they had the lowest lung case-specific costs (USD 33,425) over the same three-year period from diagnosis. Higher costs for inpatient medications were observed in patients without any comorbidities or with at most one. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the significant effect of comorbidity patterns on resource use in lung cancer patients. Considering comorbidity profiles is essential for economic assessments and healthcare planning, as it allows for better resource allocation and supports personalized treatment strategies.
Keywords: clusters; health economics; healthcare services; lung neoplasm.