title: Patient preferences for adjuvant interferon alfa-2b treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although trials of adjuvant interferon alfa-2b (IFN alpha-2b) in high-risk melanoma patients suggest improvement in disease-free survival, it is unclear whether treatment offers improvement in overall survival. Widespread use of adjuvant IFN alpha-2b has been tempered by its significant toxicity. To quantify the trade-offs between IFN alpha-2b toxicity and survival, we assessed patient utilities for health states associated with IFN therapy. Utilities are measures of preference for a particular health state on a scale of 0 (death) to 1 (perfect health).
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed utilities for health states associated with adjuvant IFN among 107 low-risk melanoma patients using the standard gamble technique. Health states described four IFN alpha-2b toxicity scenarios and the following three posttreatment outcomes: disease-free health and melanoma recurrence (with or without IFN alpha-2b) leading to cancer death. We also asked patients the improvement in 5-year disease-free survival they would require to tolerate IFN.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Utilities for melanoma recurrence with or without IFN alpha-2b were significantly lower than utilities for all IFN alpha-2b toxicities but were not significantly different from each other. At least half of the patients were willing to tolerate mild-moderate and severe IFN alpha-2b toxicity for 4% and 10% improvements, respectively, in 5-year disease-free survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On average, patients rate quality of life with melanoma recurrence much lower than even severe IFN alpha-2b toxicity. These results suggest that recurrence-free survival is highly valued by patients. The utilities measured in our study can be applied directly to quality-of-life determinations in clinical trials of adjuvant IFN alpha-2b to measure the net benefit of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Evaluation Sciences, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0821, USA. kk4h@virginia.edu
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kilbridge
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sober
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Haluska
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Slingluff
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sock
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Nease
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins