Economic evaluation of fulvestrant as an extra step in the treatment sequence for ER-positive advanced breast cancer
2008

Cost-Effectiveness of Fulvestrant in Advanced Breast Cancer Treatment

Sample size: 1000 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Cameron D A, Camidge D R, Oyee J, Hirsch M

Primary Institution: Department of Oncology, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK

Hypothesis

Is fulvestrant a cost-effective addition to the treatment sequence for ER-positive advanced breast cancer?

Conclusion

Fulvestrant is a cost-effective treatment option when added as a second- or third-line hormonal therapy for advanced breast cancer.

Supporting Evidence

  • Fulvestrant as a second-line therapy provided an additional 47 life years and 41 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for 1000 patients.
  • The cost per QALY gained with fulvestrant was estimated at £7300.
  • Adding fulvestrant as a third-line option resulted in a cost reduction of £430 per patient.

Takeaway

This study shows that adding fulvestrant to breast cancer treatment can help patients live longer and better without costing too much money.

Methodology

A Markov model was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different treatment sequences for postmenopausal women with HR+ advanced breast cancer.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to reliance on clinician surveys for treatment pathways and utility values.

Limitations

The analysis lacks direct clinical trial data comparing fulvestrant with other treatment sequences and relies on clinician estimates for utility values.

Participant Demographics

Cohort consisted of 1000 postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive advanced breast cancer.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/sj.bjc.6604790

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