title: An economic evaluation of cetuximab combined with radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer in Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A phase III randomized trial that compared the combination of cetuximab and radiotherapy to radiotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck provided a platform for a comprehensive economic evaluation. The study was conducted to estimate the cost-effectiveness of cetuximab in combination with radiotherapy compared to radiotherapy alone, for the treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer in patients for whom chemoradiotherapy is inappropriate or intolerable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Separate economic analyses were conducted for Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The economic model was based on individual patient data extracted from an international phase III trial. Country-specific costs of care from official sources were applied in each analysis. Clinical expert panels supplemented resource use estimates from the phase III trial and validated assumptions used to extrapolate costs and health outcomes beyond the follow-up of the phase III trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the base-case analysis, the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year for patients receiving radiotherapy in combination with cetuximab compared to radiotherapy alone among all countries was in the range of 7538 euros to 10,836 euros. Sensitivity analysis showed the results to be robust.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that the addition of cetuximab to high-dose radiotherapy offers a good value-for-money alternative to radiotherapy alone in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer in five European countries.
authors.affiliation: IMS Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diamantopoulos
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernier
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schöffski
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hieke
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Launois
authors.forename: Ingolf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Griebsch
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001530:Belgium; D000068818:Cetuximab; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005602:France; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D018803:Models, Economic; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000191:economics; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013557:Switzerland; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000068818:Cetuximab