Review of economic analyses of treatment for non-small–cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

ABSTRACT

Introduction: During the past few years, medical–economic evaluation of lung cancers (LCs) has become unavoidable. Total management costs have been rising constantly, with values almost doubling every 10 years. The financial impact will be even greater with the new molecules now marketed. The methodology for these studies conforms with international recommendations but must be adapted to the new stakes of LC management.

Areas covered: This review provides an overview of the available literature concerning the economics of treating non-small–cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We first address the global costs of LCs. Detailed analyses were then computed for the different LC stages: localized, locally advanced and metastatic. For metastatic NSCLC, subsections are devoted to targeted therapies and immunotherapies.

Expert commentary: Drug costs are one of the major challenges of LC management. The multiplication of medical–economic analyses will assure better access to the marketing of these new and expensive therapeutic agents, but also to the selection of the best management strategy for these cancers.

KEYWORDS:

• Lung cancer
• medical–economic evaluation
• chemotherapy
• surgery
• targeted therapy
• immunotherapy

Declaration of interest

A. Vergnenégre has acted as a consultant and on advisory boards for MSD, Hoffman Laroche, BMS, Pierre Fabre Oncology, Janssen, Teva, and AstraZeneca, and has been an invited speaker for AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD, Pierre Fabre Oncology. C. Chouaid has received fees or funding from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Rock, MSD, BMS, Lilly, Pfizer, Pierre Fabre Oncology, Novartis, and Amgen for participation in conferences, communications, training activities, research work, participation in expert groups, writing articles or documents, advice, and expertise. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer Disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript was not funded.