Impact of the subcutaneous formulations of trastuzumab and rituximab on efficiency and resource optimization in Spanish hospitals: H-Excelencia study

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
Average time, min	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 month^a	86	78	302	118	23	22	411	218
Trastuzumab
First cycle (including loading dose) in combination with chemotherapy^b	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 month^{b, 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

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