Older patients who received infusion therapy as hospital outpatients experienced different patterns of treatment than those treated in physician offices, but quality of care was similar, according to a recent retrospective analysis. Participants initiated infusion therapy between 2008 and 2012 for early stage breast cancer; metastatic breast, lung, or colorectal cancer; or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Investigators looked at first-line treatment and end-of-life quality differences. Among the results:

• Patients in the hospital outpatient setting had shorter treatment duration and fewer infusions for some regimens.
• Quality care was similar across all sites.
• Costs were 15% higher in patients treated in the hospital outpatient setting, compared with those seen in the physician office setting (nearly $56,000 vs ~$48,500).