Aim: To assess the cost-effectiveness of UGT1A1*6/*28 genotyping compared with no genotyping or no dose adjustment before irinotecan administration in China.
Materials & methods: A decision tree model was developed to evaluate costs and health outcomes represented as quality-adjusted life years gained. Model inputs for the frequency of genotypes, the probability of neutropenia under FOLFIRI chemotherapy and direct costs and utilities were obtained from published sources. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed.
Results: The strategy of genotyping with dose reduction dominated all remaining strategies. Compared with the strategies of no genotyping and genotyping with unchanged dose, it resulted in only marginal quality-adjusted life year increases (0.0011 and 0.0012) but a cost reduction of $651.12 and $805.22 per patient, respectively. One-way sensitivity analyses revealed that the model was relatively robust.
Conclusion: UGT1A1*6/*28 genotyping was cost saving for Chinese colorectal cancer patients.
Keywords: FOLFIRI; colorectal cancer; cost–effectiveness; irinotecan.