title: [Direct and indirect costs of luteinising hormone-releasing hormone analogues in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer in Italy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  When analyzing the use of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogues for different clinical indications, current available evidence does not support a presumed drug class effect among the various LHRH in the treatment of prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The following search key words were entered in the PubMed database and the NICE and FDA websites: “LHRH agonist AND prostatic cancer”, “androgen deprivation therapy”, “androgen suppression”, “buserelin”, “leuprorelin”, “goserelin”,“triptorelin”, “degarelix”. The direct costs included the following items: follow-up visits, diagnostic exams (e.g. prostate-specific antigen PSA) and drug costs. The indirect costs included working days lost by the patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With intermittent therapy as a reference, leuprorelin injectable solution of 22,25 mg was associated with the lowest cost and degarelix with the highest cost. However, given the mandatory presence of a nurse for drug injection, the buserelin depot formulation was associated with the lowest cost. If the costs for hospital visits were added to drug costs, differences between the various therapeutic strategies were less remarkable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed how various factors (e.g. route of administration, frequency of administration, presence of a nurse for drug reconstitution and injection) should be taken into account by decision makers in addition to the price of drugs.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fadda
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maratea
mesh_terms: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000191:economics; D016527:Drug Costs; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen