The costs of peripheral blood progenitor cell reinfusion mobilised by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor following high dose melphalan as compared with conventional therapy in multiple myeloma

In a retrospective study, we calculated the treatment costs of 26 patients, who received either high dose melphalan combined with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF; filgrastim)(n=7) or without G-CSF (n=11) or alternatively, peripheral blood progenitor cell reinfusion (PBPC) mobilised by G-CSF following high dose melphalan. In comparison with the control group, a shortening of the pancytopenic period and platelet recovery was noticed in the PBPC group. This resulted in a reduction in hospital costs, diagnostics, laboratory services, total parenteral nutrition and transfusions. The average costs per treatment in the PBPC group amounted to about US$ 179 08 as compared to US$ 32 223 in the control group, implying a cost reduction of 44% when changing to PBPC reinfusion.