title: Treatment costs of adjuvant cytotoxic therapy in premenopausal breast cancer patients.
abstract: The interest in cost calculations of medical treatment programs has increased during the last decade. In the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group's (DBCG) protocol 77B, 1,028 premenopausal patients were randomized after mastectomy to radiotherapy (RT) alone (control), RT + 12 cycles of cyclophosphamide (C) or to RT + 12 cycles of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF). This study analyzes the costs associated with systemic treatment and follow-up programs in the 3 regimens. Costs connected with the primary mastectomy and the radiotherapy, which were identical in the 3 regimens, have not been included in the analysis. The analysis shows that the expenses for the postoperative treatment and follow-up program for 9 years in the control regimen are 8,250 DKK, whereas the costs for the C regimen are 11,000 DKK, and the costs for the CMF regimen are 18,000 DKK.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology ONA, Finsen Institute, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Løber
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Søgaard
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Mouridsen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate