Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42823558›Full record

ArticleJournal of cancer research and clinical oncology2026

Comparative Cost and Utilization Analysis of CAR-T Therapy and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in Germany: Insights from Statutory Health Insurance Billing and Nationwide Inpatient Data.

Ann-Cathrine Froitzheim, Melina Sophie Kurte, Katja Gehrke, Sebastian Lempfert, Katja Hesse, Florian Kron

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ann-Cathrine FroitzheimFaculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-3246-1461
Melina Sophie KurteVITIS Healthcare Group, Cologne, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-8918-1769
Katja GehrkeInstitute for Descriptive Health Data Analysis (OHG), DGDA-Institute, Hamburg, Germany.
Sebastian LempfertInstitute for Descriptive Health Data Analysis (OHG), DGDA-Institute, Hamburg, Germany.
Katja HesseVITIS Healthcare Group, Cologne, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-6692-9560
Florian KronVITIS Healthcare Group, Cologne, Germany. f.kron@vitis-healthcare.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4907-7490

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeChimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has transformed the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) but carries higher drug acquisition costs than autologous stem cell transplantation (autoSCT), while administration and follow-up costs remain underrepresented in economic evaluations and reimbursement decision-making. This study compares administration-related and subsequent treatment costs of CAR-T and autoSCT for DLBCL from the German statutory health insurance (SHI) perspective.

methodsA two-step analysis based on two German databases was performed. In step 1, SHI billing data (representing 5 million insured individuals, ≙ 8% of SHI) from 2020-2022 were analyzed longitudinally. Costs were divided into initial regime (IR) (all services except CAR-T drug acquisition) and a following regime (FR). In step 2, a cross-sectional analysis of all German inpatient cases from 2020-2023 (17 million cases/year) assessed inpatient costs.

resultsStep 1 included 12 CAR-T and 59 autoSCT patients. Median IR costs per patient were €61,703 (CAR-T) versus €55,802 (autoSCT), while FR costs were lower for CAR-T (€44,832 versus €69,453). Most frequently reported adverse events (any grade) for CAR-T versus autoSCT were: B-cell aplasia/neutropenia (77% versus 64%), thrombocytopenia (38% versus 64%). Step 2 included 1,229 CAR-T and 2,239 autoSCT inpatient cases (2020-2023). Average LOS was comparable (27.3 versus 27.8 days), and average inpatient costs were lower for CAR-T (€13,991 versus €29,432).

conclusionAlthough associated with higher IR costs, CAR-T therapy in DLBCL demonstrated lower inpatient and FR costs compared to autoSCT. This analysis focused on administration and follow-up costs, excluding drug acquisition costs, characterizing the economic burden beyond drug pricing.

Indexed as

Hematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationImmunotherapy, AdoptiveLymphoma, Large B-Cell, DiffuseAdultAgedCosts and Cost AnalysisCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansInsurance, HealthMaleMiddle AgedTransplantation, AutologousCAR-TCostHealth economicsHematologyReal world dataStem cell transplant

Identifiers

PMID42823558
PMCPMC13631127

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.