Direct non-medical costs and influencing factors of patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with targeted therapy: A cross-sectional study in Vietnam

Abstract

To estimate the direct non-medical costs and related factors for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (EGFR) mutations who received first-line targeted therapy, a crosssectional study was conducted from October 2022 to December 2023. Interviews were conducted with 310 NSCLC patients at the Vietnam National Cancer Hospital in Tan Trieu. The mean total direct non-medical costs for NSCLC patients were VND 832,989 per month, accounting for 3.6% of the mean total costs and 29.6% of the average income of NSCLC patients. The highest proportion of patients incurred expenses for transportation (98.7%), meals (90.0%), and lodging (39.0%). Costs for transportation (VND 591,525, accounting for 71.0%), meals (VND
155,580, accounting for 18.7%), and lodging (VND 85,884, accounting for 10.3%) were reported. Meal and lodging costs increased with the duration of hospital visits (p<0.001). Factors such as residing in rural areas, frequency of caregivers, and duration of hospital visits were found to affect the direct non-medical costs of patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC (p<0.05). Organisations and individuals should support NSCLC patients by offering free or discounted meals, lodging, and transportation. This assistance can help reduce the out-of-pocket burden on patients and prevent them from falling into poverty.