The economics of temozolomide in brain cancer

Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Aug;8(12):1923-9. doi: 10.1517/14656566.8.12.1923.

Abstract

For 30 years, nitrosourea was the only adjuvant treatment available for aggressive glioma patients, despite its severe side effects; and, therefore, radiotherapy was often the therapy of choice. Survival prospect in these patients was, however, low with generally few patients surviving beyond 2 years. Recently, temozolomide was successfully tested in a number of randomised clinical trials and showed an increased survival. As many countries are considering reimbursement or have granted a market authorisation for temozolomide, a number of studies have been published in various countries in order to assess the cost-effectiveness of temozolomide for glioma patients in first- or second-line treatment. These studies show that in general, the incremental cost-effectiveness of temozolomide as adjuvant treatment, albeit at the higher end of commonly accepted thresholds, falls in line with other accepted cancer treatments.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / economics*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / therapeutic use
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Brain Neoplasms / economics*
  • Brain Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Dacarbazine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Dacarbazine / economics
  • Dacarbazine / therapeutic use
  • Glioma / drug therapy
  • Glioma / economics*
  • Glioma / radiotherapy
  • Humans
  • Quality of Life
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Survival Rate
  • Temozolomide

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating
  • Dacarbazine
  • Temozolomide