Health state utility values in locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer by treatment line: a systematic review

ABSTRACT

Introduction: For patients with late-stage (metastatic) breast cancer, the impact of treatment on health-related quality of life is a key factor in decision-making. A systematic review was conducted to identify health state utility values (HSUVs) for late-stage breast cancer, derived using methods preferred by health technology assessment (HTA) agencies, by treatment line. The aim was to generate a list of HSUVs, that could help to justify the values used to populate cost-utility models.

Areas covered: Ten electronic databases, international congress websites and online HSUV databases were searched (January 1995–May 2014) for HSUVs for adults with late-stage breast cancer that had been derived from methods favoured by HTA agencies. Publications were included only if they reported studies that originated HSUVs.

Expert commentary: Large numbers of HSUVs are available for late-stage breast cancer in the published literature. Contrary to expectations, the HSUVs reported in the literature vary greatly for some health states. As a result, the choice of HSUV can have considerable implications for the outcomes of economic evaluations. Standardization of HSUV methodology is expected to reduce variability; however, further research is recommended for assessing the sensitivity of generic preference-based measures in late-stage (metastatic) breast cancer.

KEYWORDS:

• Advanced breast cancer
• metastatic breast cancer
• health state utility
• quality of life
• systematic review
• treatment line
• health status
• quality-adjusted life-year
• cost–utility analysis
• quality of life index

Acknowledgments

Medical writing support was provided by Carly Sellick of PharmaGenesis London, London, UK, and was funded by Roche.

Declaration of interest

N Paracha and P-O Thuresson are employees of F Hoffmann-La Roche. SG Moreno was an employee of F Hoffmann-La Roche at the time of conducting this review and is now an employee of Novartis. KS MacGilchrist was an employee of Abacus International at the time of conducting this review and is now an employee of Epidemica Ltd.

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Additional information

Funding

This manuscript was funded by F Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland.