Cost-effectiveness of combination chemotherapy (oxaliplatin or irinotecan in combination with 5-FU/FA) compared with 5-FU/FA alone

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Combination therapies of oxaliplatin with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid (FA) and irinotecan with 5-FU/FA have been shown to offer comparable clinical improvements in advanced colorectal cancer and are becoming part of routine clinical practice in the UK. Using published key Phase III trials of these two combination therapies (oxaliplatin trial, 620 patients; irinotecan trial, 387 patients) we calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for progression-free survival and response rates compared with each regimen's control arm. Average drug-acquisition costs were used. The incremental cost to achieve an additional progression-free year is £26,665 for oxaliplatin in combination therapy and £30,171 for irinotecan in combination therapy. In terms of response rates, the costs incurred per year to achieve an additional responding patient are £31,065 for oxaliplatin in combination therapy and £46,343 for irinotecan combination therapy. These analyses indicate that the two combination therapies offer comparable benefits in terms of efficacy and cost-effectiveness compared with 5-FU/FA alone. The two treatments differ in terms of their toxicity.

This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit: