Cost–effectiveness of epoetin alfa and darbepoetin alfa in patients with chemotherapy-related anemia

Abstract

Anemia frequently develops during cancer chemotherapy and contributes to a variety of adverse clinical outcomes. Correction of anemia has been shown to improve patient outcomes; however, the cost considerations of supportive-care interventions have also become increasingly important to payors. Chemotherapy-related anemia can be managed via red blood cell transfusion; however, inherent transfusion-associated risks (e.g., infectious transmission and immunosuppression) can be particularly problematic in patients with cancer. Epoetin alfa and darbepoetin alfa, alternatives to blood transfusion in patients with chemotherapy-related anemia, are both effective at improving hemoglobin levels and transfusion requirements in patients actively receiving chemotherapy. Determining the relative cost–effectiveness of these erythropoietic therapies is an active research area.

Keywords::

• anemia
• area under the hemoglobin change curve
• cancer
• chemotherapy
• cost–effectiveness
• darbepoetin alfa
• epoetin alfa
• erythropoietic agent
• hemoglobin
• pharmacoeconomic
• transfusion