Aim: To estimate the mean lifetime survival benefit, an essential component of health economic evaluations in oncology, of adding tumor treating fields (TTFields) to maintenance temozolomide (TMZ) for newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients.
Methods: We integrated EF-14 trial data with glioblastoma epidemiology data. The model provided for an evidence-based approach to estimate lifetime survival for the material number of EF-14 trial patients still alive at 5 years.
Results & conclusion: Patients treated with TTFields and TMZ had an incremental mean lifetime survival of 1.8 years (TTFields/TMZ: 4.2 vs TMZ alone: 2.4). Patients alive at year 2 after starting TTFields had a 20.7% probability of surviving to year 10. The results presented here provide the required incremental survival benefit necessary for a future assessment of the incremental cost-effectiveness of TTFields.
Keywords: conditional survival; glioblastoma; life years gained; long-term survival; survival model; tumor treating fields.