title: Cost-effectiveness assessment of interferon alfa-2b as adjuvant therapy of high-risk resected cutaneous melanoma.
abstract: The use of interferon alfa-2b (IFN-alpha 2b) as adjuvant therapy of high-risk resected cutaneous melanoma was recently found to significantly improve relapse-free and overall survival in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group trial 1684 (E1684). However, treatment toxicities and costs may limit its widespread use. A cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of this therapy was conducted using a hypothetical cohort of patients as if they had entered E1684. Survival and recurrence rates were calculated at 7 and 35 years for typical 50-year-old melanoma patients based on the clinical results of E1684 and natural history databases. Costs included all treatment-related costs (i.e. drug acquisition and administration, monitoring and treatment-related toxicity) and the costs of treating recurrences. Estimated utility values were assigned based on data from other oncology trials. The model predicted that IFN-alpha 2b provided an extra 0.52 years of life compared with observation at 7 years; however, at 35 years, the survival benefit of IFN-alpha 2b increased almost 4-fold to nearly 2 years. At 7 years, the cost per year of life gained was U.S. $32,600 and the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained was U.S. $43,200. At 35 years, these costs decreased to U.S. $13,700 and $15,200, respectively. These costs are comparable with those of other well-established medical interventions. Although these results require confirmation in a prospective study, it appears that the use of high-dose IFN-alpha 2b for patients with high-risk melanoma is cost-effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298, USA.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Hillner
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008545:Melanoma / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014768:Virginia
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins