Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a rare hematologic malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of 52 %. For transplant-eligible MM patients, high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is recommended. Given the complexities of the ASCT procedure, understanding patient-specific factors and their impact on treatment decisions is essential. Our study examines patient characteristics and patterns of health resource utilization associated with ASCT receipt in patients with MM. This retrospective study used the Merative™ MarketScan® database from 2017 to 2019 to analyze working-aged adults (18-65 years) with MM. We categorized 643 ASCT recipients by demographic characteristics (age, sex, region, employment status, year of ASCT procedure) and clinical factors (Charlson Comorbidity Index score). We assessed health resource utilization, focusing on ASCT-related costs, including total payments and hospitalization duration. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables, with means, medians, standard deviations for continuous variables, and frequencies for categorical variables. Pearson correlation assessed the relationship between total payment and hospitalization duration. Over 80 % of patients were over 50, highlighting the need for age-specific clinical strategies. Most patients had CCI scores of 2-4, indicating a moderate comorbidity burden. The mean hospitalization duration was 21.71 days, with average ASCT costs totaling $166,235.99. The correlation coefficient of 0.21 indicated that total payments also increase as the number of hospitalization days increases. These findings highlight the need for tailored care approaches and resource allocation in ASCT, informing future research and clinical decision-making.