The purpose of the present study was to calculate the cost-effectiveness of the inclusion of the bevacizumab (BVZ) + irinotecan (CPT-11) regimen in the second-line of treatment for primary glioblastoma multiforme. A retrospective cohort study with a control group was performed in which the cost-effectiveness of a course of chemotherapy was calculated based on survival time and the incremental cost between the two lines of treatment. A total of 77 patients were included, 36 of who formed the BVZ/CPT-11 cohort. The median survival time for the non-BVZ control cohort was 13.23 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.79-14.68], while for the BVZ/CPT-11 treatment cohort, the median survival time was 17.63 months (95% CI, 15.38-19.89). Overall, each year of life gained for each patient treated with BVZ/CPT-11 would cost €46,401.99. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the BVZ/CPT-11 combination, but its incremental cost compared with other lines of treatment or the best care available does not appear to be acceptable for public health systems in the current situation of budgetary adjustments.
Keywords: antiangiogenic; bevacizumab; cost-effectiveness; glioblastoma; irinotecan.