Outpatient cytarabine consolidation in acute myeloid leukemia safely reduces hospitalization time and treatment costs Journal Article


Authors: Burton, H.; Boussi, L.; Nemirovsky, D.; Derkach, A.; Ciervo, J.; Famulare, C.; Chin, K. K.; Valtis, Y.; Yisraeli Salman, M.; Patel, K.; Shah, G. L.; Goldberg, A. D.; Geyer, M. B.; Thompson, M. C.; Tallman, M. S.; Stein, E. M.; Cai, S. F.
Article Title: Outpatient cytarabine consolidation in acute myeloid leukemia safely reduces hospitalization time and treatment costs
Abstract: Background: Administration of intensive induction chemotherapy followed by consolidation with postremission high- or intermediate-dose cytarabine (H/IDAC) remains a standard therapeutic approach in fit patients with nonadverse risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Historically, H/IDAC has been administered in the inpatient (IP) rather than outpatient (OP) setting given infection risk, transfusion and supportive care needs, and logistical challenges of OP treatment. However, the financial toxicity associated with IP chemotherapy hospitalization as well as risk of nosocomial infections and improvements in antimicrobial prophylaxis have highlighted the potential role for OP H/IDAC administration. Methods: Accordingly, an OP H/IDAC treatment program was developed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 2014 using an ambulatory pump system. To investigate the benefits and risks of this approach compared with standard IP H/IDAC administration, a retrospective single-center cohort study was conducted of 198 adult patients with AML who received either IP (59) or OP (139) H/IDAC consolidation. Results: In the OP-treated group, this approach safely reduced hospitalization days per cycle (median, 0.8 vs 7.5, p <.001) without leading to increased incidence of hospitalization for febrile neutropenia (incidence rate ratio, 1.07, p =.8) or higher rate of major treatment complications. Total cost per cycle was significantly lower for the OP-treated group (median, $14,244 compared to $36,688, p <.001). Conclusions: In the largest cohort study of adult AML patients receiving OP H/IDAC, OP treatment administration was feasible, led to decreased hospital days and cost savings, and did not impact relapse free or overall survival compared to IP administration. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords: adult; aged; middle aged; retrospective studies; young adult; major clinical study; overall survival; leukemia, myeloid, acute; allogeneic stem cell transplantation; cytarabine; antimetabolites, antineoplastic; incidence; cohort analysis; retrospective study; febrile neutropenia; health care cost; health care utilization; economics; hospitalization; minimal residual disease; laboratory test; ambulatory care; outpatient; hospital infection; drug therapy; health care costs; antineoplastic antimetabolite; induction chemotherapy; filgrastim; recurrence free survival; clinical outcome; pegfilgrastim; demographics; outpatients; acute myeloid leukemia; procedures; consolidation chemotherapy; humans; human; male; female; article; ecog performance status; financial distress; electronic medical record system; cytarabine consolidation; outpatient chemotherapy
Journal Title: Cancer
Volume: 131
Issue: 16
ISSN: 0008-543X
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell  
Date Published: 2025-08-15
Start Page: e70024
Language: English
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.70024
PUBMED: 40772822
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC12330780
DOI/URL:
Notes: The MSK Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA008748) is acknowledged in the PubMed record and PDF. Corresponding MSK author is Sheng F. Ca -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Eytan Moshe Stein
    368 Stein
  2. Martin Stuart Tallman
    655 Tallman
  3. Sheng Feng Cai
    52 Cai
  4. Gunjan Lalitchandra Shah
    446 Shah
  5. Mark Blaine Geyer
    91 Geyer
  6. Aaron David Goldberg
    116 Goldberg
  7. Andriy Derkach
    174 Derkach
  8. Jenna Rose Ciervo
    8 Ciervo
  9. Kuo-Kai Chin
    11 Chin
  10. Leora Sarah Boussi
    21 Boussi
  11. Kishan Kamlesh Patel
    4 Patel