Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma in Japan: Real-World Patient Characteristics, Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Utilization, and Costs.

Background: Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a rare and heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas associated with aggressive clinical course and suboptimal outcomes. PTCL accounts for a higher proportion of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases in Japan compared with Western countries; however, real-world evidence on treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and costs in Japan is limited. Objectives: To describe real-world patient characteristics, treatment patterns, HRU, and costs among patients with PTCL in Japan. Methods: This retrospective observational study used administrative claims data from the Medical Data Vision database in Japan. Adult patients diagnosed with PTCL between September 2012 and August 2022 were identified. Patients were categorized as receiving nonsystemic therapy or systemic therapy and stratified by lines of therapy. Patient demographics, comorbidities, treatment regimens, time on treatment, HRU, and healthcare costs, measured per patient per month, were analyzed descriptively. Results: Among 910 patients identified, 71.3% received systemic treatment and 28.7% received nonsystemic therapy, most receiving corticosteroids only. Mean age at diagnosis was 69.8 years; 70% of patients were at least 65 years old. Key comorbidities included peptic ulcer disease, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. PTCL-not otherwise specified and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma accounted for over 75% of subtypes. First-line therapy was mainly cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) or CHOP-like regimens; later lines were more heterogeneous and of shorter duration. Mogamulizumab and brentuximab vedotin were used in 4.16% and 10.48% of patients, respectively. Stem cell transplantation was infrequent (6.3%). Median per patient per month PTCL-related total healthcare cost was Discussion: These findings demonstrate substantial clinical and economic burden among PTCL patients in Japan. Treatment heterogeneity and short duration in later lines of therapy highlight ongoing therapeutic challenges. Conclusions: High economic burden of PTCL treatment underscores the need for more effective, tolerable, and less costly therapeutic strategies for treating PTCL patients in Japan.