Cost-effectiveness of chemotherapy for lung cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Earle C C, Evans W K
Primary Institution: Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre, University of Ottawa and Cancer Care Ontario
Hypothesis
Is combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and cisplatin more cost-effective than standard etoposide and cisplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer?
Conclusion
Paclitaxel/cisplatin is a cost-effective improvement over standard etoposide/cisplatin for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- The two paclitaxel-containing arms had almost identical survival curves with a median survival of 9.7 months.
- Etoposide/cisplatin had a median survival of 7.4 months.
- Paclitaxel/cisplatin cost $76,370 per life-year gained compared to etoposide/cisplatin.
- When modeled as an outpatient 3-h infusion, paclitaxel/cisplatin was moderately cost-effective at $30,619 per life-year gained.
- Compared to historical controls, paclitaxel/cisplatin cost $4,539 per life-year gained.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether a new cancer treatment is worth the money compared to an older one. It found that the new treatment can be a good deal for patients.
Methodology
The study used data from a large randomized trial and a health model to compare costs and survival of different chemotherapy regimens.
Participant Demographics
Patients with stage IIIb or IV non-small cell lung cancer.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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