Table 2.
Estimated time required per month to administer rituximab or trastuzumab subcutaneously or intravenously
| Average time, min | Waiting room | Administration chair | Medical consultation | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | SC | IV | SC | IV | SC | IV | SC | |
| Rituximab | ||||||||
| Per cycle in combination with chemotherapy | 71 | 71 | 296 | 139 | 20 | 20 | 387 | 230 |
| Per maintenance treatment cycle | 68 | 53 | 183 | 21 | 16 | 15 | 267 | 89 |
| Weighted average total time per patient per montha | 86 | 78 | 302 | 118 | 23 | 22 | 411 | 218 |
| Trastuzumab | ||||||||
| First cycle (including loading dose) in combination with chemotherapyb | 83 | 83 | 187 | 83 | 17 | 16 | 286 | 181 |
| Per cycle in combination with chemotherapy (without loading dose) | 85 | 85 | 162 | 107 | 17 | 16 | 264 | 208 |
| Per maintenance treatment cycle | 85 | 60 | 64 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 166 | 91 |
| Average total time per patient per monthb, c | 127 | 106 | 163 | 82 | 26 | 24 | 316 | 212 |
aThe weighted average total time per patient per month was estimated by dividing the total treatment time in a year by 12 months. Total treatment pattern in a year differs per approved indication as follows: (1) First-line follicular lymphoma (48% of patients treated with rituximab): 8 cycles in combination with chemotherapy (the first one always IV) and the last 12 as maintenance therapy; (2) Relapsed refractory follicular lymphoma (14% of patients treated with rituximab): 8 cycles in combination with chemotherapy (the first one always IV) and the last 8 as maintenance therapy; (3) Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (38% of patients): 8 cycles in combination with chemotherapy (the first one always IV)
bData for the first trastuzumab cycle (i.e. that including the loading dose) were missing from three hospitals, so the average times shown are from six of the nine hospitals
cThe average total time per patient per month was estimated by first calculating the total treatment time in a year, consisting of a first cycle with loading dose in combination with chemotherapy, 7 subsequent cycles in combination with chemotherapy, and 10 cycles of maintenance therapy (giving a total of 18 cycles/year), and then dividing by 12 months
IV intravenous, SC subcutaneous