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ABSTRACT
Introduction: An economic evaluation of the irinotecan, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil (FOLFIRI) combination versus the irinotecan, oxaliplatin, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOXIRI) regimen in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer was performed in the context of a randomised phase III study.
Methods: The trial did not find any differences in efficacy and, therefore, a cost-minimisation analysis was undertaken. Treatment cost accounts for the administration of first and second line chemotherapy, for concomitant medications, for laboratory and other examinations and hospitalisations due to treatment side effects. Unit prices used reflect 2006 and are common among NHS hospitals in Greece.
Results: The mean total cost of therapy in the FOLFOXIRI group (€18 344, 95% CI: €16 951–€19 776), was significantly higher than the FOLFIRI group (€12 201, 95% CI: €11 011–€13 427). Mean chemotherapy cost of the FOLFOXIRI group (€9016; 95% CI: €8338–€9669) was significantly higher than that of the FOLFIRI group (€4830; 95% CI: €4435–€5231). The next largest component of cost involves second line drugs, where the average cost per patient was €3306 (95% CI: €2479–€4237) in the FOLFIRI group and €3996 (95% CI: €3196–€4892) in the FOLFOXIRI group. The cost of hospitalisations was €1814 (95% CI: €1672–€1954) in the first group and €2663 (95% CI: €2469–€2859) in the second. The rest of the components represent a small part of the total cost and there are no differences in the two groups.
Conclusion: The combination of irinotecan, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil has the same effectiveness as the combination of irinotecan, oxaliplatin, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, nonetheless it is associated with a much lower overall treatment cost and it should be the preferred treatment regimen in this context.