Hodgkin disease treated at the Tromsø regional hospital 1985-93. Diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, quality of life and costs of a decentralized treatment
Norum, J.; Wist, E.
Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening Tidsskrift for Praktisk Medicin Ny Raekke 117(1): 23-26
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-2001 PMID: 9064805 Document Number: 470087
Between 1985-93, 55 patients were treated for Hodgkin's disease at the University Hospital of Tromsø. The median diagnostic delay was four months and a significant prolonged delay was connected with the lymphocyte predominance subgroup. The ChlVPP regimen was shown to be a risk factor for herpes zoster virus infection. The 5-year overall survival was 90%. The survivors experienced a low frequency of symptoms and a high level of functioning. The females reported a significant superior global quality of life and had a lower psychological distress and fatigue score than the males. The cost of one quality-adjusted life year (QALY) (production gains included and using a 10% discount rate) was estimated to be 1,651 pounds. This makes Hodgkin's disease one of the most cost-effective malignancies to treat.