European Journal of Cancer, Vol. 34, No. 12, pp. 1894±1901, 1998
# 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Cost-eVectiveness Analysis of Paclitaxel and Cisplatin Versus
Cyclophosphamide and Cisplatin as First-line Therapy in
Advanced Ovarian Cancer. A European Perspective
1Medical Economics Research Group, Prinzregentenst. 72, D-81675 Munich, Germany; and 2Centre for
Pharmacoeconomics, School of Pharmacy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Paclitaxel is a new cytotoxic agent that has demonstrated signi®cant activity in advanced ovariancancer. The aim of this study was to determine the cost structure of advanced ovarian cancer and thecost-eVectiveness of paclitaxel±cisplatin (PC) combination therapy compared with a standard cyclo-phosphamide±cisplatin (CC) regimen as ®rst-line therapy. The analysis was performed separately forsix European countries: Germany, Spain, France, Italy, The Netherlands and the U.K. The study wasconducted from the national health service payer's perspective. The total cost of treatment per patient(six cycles of chemotherapy) in the six European countries varied between a minimum of US$4,926 inthe U.K. and US$12 578 in Germany for the CC regimen and between US$13 038 and US$24 487 for thePC regimen (April 1996). Since the new regimen improved life expectancy by 1.283 years comparedwith CC, the incremental cost-eVectiveness of PC was calculated to be between US$6,403 per 5-yearsaved in the U.K. and US$11 420 per life-year saved in Italy. Overall, the cost-eVectiveness of PCcompares favourably with other oncological interventions. The ®ndings of this study suggest thathealthcare decision makers should consider paclitaxel, in combination with cisplatin, as a cost-eVec-tive ®rst-line therapy for patients with advanced ovarian cancer. # 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. Allrights reserved.
Key words: cost-effectiveness analysis, paclitaxel, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, advanced ovariancancer, European perspectiveEur J Cancer, Vol. 34, No. 12, pp. 1894±1901, 1998
cessful management. Whilst initial response rates are high,
Who data show an incidence of 645 000 cases of cancer in
however, the long-term prognosis of patients with advanced
the European Community in 1990. Included in this are
ovarian cancer remains poor: only 10±25% of women survive
approximately 28 000 cases of ovarian cancer [1]. Ovarian
cancer is the sixth most common form of cancer worldwide
Paclitaxel (Taxol1), which is produced semisynthetically
and has the highest mortality rate of all gynaecological can-
from needles and twigs of taxus plants, is a new cytotoxic
cers [2]. Early stages of ovarian cancer are usually asympto-
agent with a novel mechanism of action that has demon-
matic, and most symptoms of the disease are manifestations
strated signi®cant activity in advanced ovarian cancer. Initial
of advanced disease [3]. Thus, the majority of patients with
trials in patients with advanced disease, who were either
ovarian cancer present with advanced disease (stage III±IV
heavily pretreated with platinum or had refractory disease,
according to International Federation of Gynaecology and
showed a dramatic and prolonged response to paclitaxel
Obstetrics (FIGO) classi®cation). In these patients, typically
monotherapy [6]. In a randomised clinical study, the Gynae-
after careful cytoreductive surgery, systemic platinum-based
cologic Oncology Group compared paclitaxel and cisplatin
combination chemotherapy forms the cornerstone of suc-
(PC) as ®rst-line chemotherapy with the standard therapy ofcyclophosphamide and cisplatin (CC) (GOG 111) [7]. Theresults showed a signi®cant improvement in overall response
Correspondence to K. Berger. Received 15 Oct. 1997; revised 18 May 1998; accepted 12 Jun. 1998.
rate, complete response, progression-free survival and overall
Paclitaxel plus Cisplatin in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
survival for the paclitaxel group [7]. These ®ndings have led
(135 mg/m2 over 24 h) for advanced ovarian cancer in the
to the suggestion that the PC combination should be given in
GOG 111 study (Table 1). To be included in the GOG 111
preference over CC as ®rst-line chemotherapy for patients
study, patients had to have histologically con®rmed stage III
epithelial ovarian cancer with residual masses > 1 cm after
As the focus on cost containment among decision makers
surgery or stage IV disease. No patient had received prior
becomes more intense, the medical bene®ts could easily be
chemotherapy or radiation therapy for ovarian cancer and all
diminished by the fact that therapy with paclitaxel might
patients had a GOG performance status score of 0, 1 or 2.
appear to be more expensive than other chemotherapies.
Other inclusion criteria included normal baseline blood
Therefore, economic evaluations are necessary. Economic
counts and normal renal and hepatic function. Patients with a
evaluations compare the costs and consequences of alter-
history of cardiac arrhythmias and those receiving anti-
native treatments for advanced ovarian cancer with respect to
arrhythmic drugs were not eligible for inclusion. All che-
medical improvements. The cost implications of treating
motherapeutic agents were administered intravenously and
advanced ovarian cancer with PC have already been exam-
patients received a total of six cycles of chemotherapy, with
ined from a Canadian perspective: the ®rst study concerning
each cycle administered at 3 weekly intervals. Because
second- and third-line chemotherapy with diVerent regimens
administration of paclitaxel can cause hypersensitivity reac-
including PC showed total average costs of Can$53 000
tions, patients assigned to the PC group were premedicated
(US$37 900) per patient [9]. Another cost analysis showed
according to local treatment patterns.
that the incremental cost-eVectiveness of PC over conven-
Among 216 patients with measurable disease, 73% of PC
tional ®rst-line therapy was Can$20 355 (US$14 500) per
recipients responded to therapy compared with 60% of
life-year saved [10]. In a diVerent economic analysis of the
patients in the CC group (P = 0.01), and the median pro-
GOG 111 study conducted from the perspective of the US
gression-free survival was signi®cantly longer (P < 0.001)
healthcare provider, combination therapy with PC cost an
among PC recipients (18 months versus 13 months among
additional US$19 820 per life-year saved compared with CC
CC treated patients). The median overall survival was also
when patients were treated in the hospital, and US$21 222
signi®cantly longer (P < 0.001) in the PC group (38 months
per life-year saved when patients were treated in an out-
versus 24 months among CC treated patients) [7]. For the
patient setting [11]. Finally, in an Italian study, the cost
purposes of the present economic analysis, the outcome of
structure of PC versus CC as ®rst-line therapy was analysed.
interest was median overall survival.
They calculated the incremental cost-eVectiveness for pacli-taxel with US$19 603 per life-year saved [12].
However, the cost of care structure of usual care of
The objectives of this economic analysis, conducted from
advanced ovarian cancer in Europe, and the economic out-
the national health service payer's perspective, were to deter-
comes of treatment with PC chemotherapy, have not been
mine the cost structure of treating advanced ovarian cancer
examined previously. Thus, the aim of this retrospective
and to determine the cost-eVectiveness of PC as ®rst-line
study, conducted from the national health service payer's
chemotherapy for women with advanced ovarian cancer
perspective of six European countries, was to determine the
compared with the standard platinum-based combination
cost structure of advanced ovarian cancer and the cost-eVec-
tiveness of PC combination therapy as ®rst-line chemother-apy for advanced ovarian cancer compared with a standard
CC regimen, using the results of the GOG 111 study [11].
In general, costs are de®ned as the result of resource con-
sumption multiplied by the price for the resource. Therefore,
the quantitative resource consumption as well as the prices
were collected separately. The resource consumption was
In this study, a retrospective analysis was performed on
determined quantitatively on the basis of structured face-to-
386 women treated with cisplatin (75 mg/m2 at a rate of 1 mg/
face interviews with experts (Table 2) treating advanced
min) plus either cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m2) or paclitaxel
ovarian cancer, delivering the information required to evalu-ate the direct costs induced by chemotherapy of advancedovarian cancer and the GOG 111. The interviews yielded
Table 1. Patient clinical characteristics at baseline [7]
country-speci®c data about duration and extent of drug
treatment (e.g. co-medication) as well as frequency of con-sultations and laboratory tests. GOG 111 was the data source
CC, cyclophosphamide±cisplatin; GOC, Gynaecologic Oncology
for information on chemotherapy dosage, number of treat-
life expectancy based on actuarial methods, calculates the
ment cycles and their toxicity pro®le (adverse events ). Addi-
speci®c life expectancy of a patient from the disease-speci®c
tional interviews and literature searches, depending on the
mortality rate and the mortality rate of the standard popula-
speci®c country, yielded prices for drugs and other resources,
tion of a given age and gender. The GOG 111 study provided
e.g. hospital stay, consultations, visits to validate the inter-
the median age of both treatment groups and disease-speci®c
view results. To achieve comparable results, all costs were
mortality. Further tables of vital statistics provided the coun-
try-speci®c life expectancy. Thus, the speci®c life expectancy
The prices for chemotherapy were obtained from tele-
could be determined in years for each treatment group
phone interviews with hospital pharmacists and oYcial drug
(Table 4). In the ®nal step of the analysis, the incremental
price lists (Table 3). The calculation was performed for a
life-years saved in the PC group was determined by subtract-
body surface area of 1.76 m2 at doses of 135, 75 and 750 mg/
ing the speci®c life expectancy in the CC group from the
m2 for paclitaxel, cisplatin and cyclophosphamide, respec-
speci®c life expectancy in the PC group. The incremental
tively. The cost of co-medication administered with each
cost-eVectiveness of PC was subsequently calculated as
cycle of chemotherapy (e.g. antibiotics, rehydration, anti-
emetics), including premedication for PC recipients, was alsodetermined through the same sources. The costs of hospital
or day clinic stay were obtained from interviews and hospital
price lists (Table 3). The average costs of laboratory tests/
investigations were determined in the same way (Table 3).
Brie¯y, the interviews were performed to determine the
The robustness of the results of this economic analysis
medication: chemotherapy (paclitaxel, cisplatin and
were tested using a series of sensitivity analyses. These tests
cyclophosphamide), treatment of adverse events,
take into consideration, due to uncertainties, lack of precise
including allergic reactions, neurological symptoms,
cost of illness data and, therefore, use data from expert
nephrotoxicity, alopecia, fever, gastrointestinal symp-
interviews and literature research. First, the increase in spe-
toms, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, leucopenia and
ci®c life expectancy associated with PC therapy was varied by
neutropenia (drugs, dosage and duration of treat-
50%. Second, the costs of medication (chemotherapy and
co-medication) and hospitalisation were varied by 20%, as
hospitalisation (during administration of chemother-
described for a previous economic analysis of the GOG 111
apy): average duration of hospital stay per cycle;
data and the prices in most of the included countries varied
consultations/laboratory tests/investigations: average
number of consultations/laboratory tests/investiga-tions per patient for an overall course of treatment (six
In patients receiving standard CC, the overall net expen-
Determination of eVectiveness and cost-eVectiveness analysis
diture over all cycles varied between a minimum of approxi-
The eVectiveness endpoint in this study was life-years
mately US$4,926 in the U.K. and a maximum of US$12 578
saved under PC therapy. The ®rst step in the analysis was to
in Germany. (Approximately US$9,290 are obtained in
calculate the speci®c life expectancy of PC and CC treated
Spain, US$8,502 in France, US$6,578 in Italy and US$6,537
patients using the DEALE (declining exponential approx-
in The Netherlands). The use of PC yielded minimum total
imation of life expectancy) approach [13]. This algorithm,
costs of approximately US$13 038 in the U.K. and maximal
which is simple to use and has been shown to closely estimate
total costs of US$24 487 in Germany (approximately
Table 3. Source of costs for medication, hospital stay and consultation and laboratory tests
departments of ®ve hospitals (of whichtwo were private)
Table 4. Life expectancy for Germany, Spain, France, Italy, The Netherlands and the U.K.
*PC À CC. PC, paclitaxel±cisplatin; CC, cyclophosphamide±cisplatin.
Table 5. Incremental costs for paclitaxel±cisplatin (PC) versus cyclophosphamide±cisplatin (CC) in US$
Table 6. Cost per life-year saved for paclitaxel±cisplatin (PC) versus cyclophosphamide±cisplatin (CC) in US$
Incremental life expectancy of PC group versus CC group
US$21 230 in Italy, US$17 520 in Spain, US$17 150 in
US$10 477, respectively (Table 8). Increasing the costs of PC
France and US$16 547 in The Netherlands).
chemotherapy and hospitalisation by up to 20% revealed a
Compared with the CC regimen, drug costs, hospitalisa-
predictable increase in the respective cost-eVectiveness ratios.
tion costs, costs of consultations/laboratory tests/investiga-
The sensitivity analyses of Germany, Spain, France, The
tions and the costs of treating adverse events were higher
Netherlands and the U.K. brought similar results (Table 8).
among PC recipients. Overall, the incremental cost of a
Nevertheless, the incremental cost-eVectiveness of PC under
complete course of PC chemotherapy was US$11 909 in
these conditions remained comparable with other oncological
Germany, US$8,230 in Spain, US$8,648 in France,
US$14 652 in Italy, US$10 010 in The Netherlands and
The incremental increase in speci®c life expectancy asso-
ciated with PC was also subjected to sensitivity analyses.
Drug costs (chemotherapy plus co-medication) accounted
Under base-case conditions, increasing the incremental
for the largest proportion of treatment costs among PC reci-
increase in speci®c life expectancy by 50% to 1.925 years in
pients (average 59.2%; maximum 77.4% in the U.K.), whilst
Italy decreased the cost-eVectiveness of PC to US$7,611 per
hospitalisation costs accounted for an average of 53.9% with
life-year saved. Whilst decreasing the speci®c life expectancy
a maximum of 75.7% (France) for overall treatment costs
by 50% to 0.642 years increased the cost-eVectiveness of PC
to US$22 822 per life-year saved in Italy, the cost-eVective-ness ratio of PC versus CC under such conditions remained
within acceptable limits. There was only a small diVerence
The median age of PC and CC treated patients in the
between the other ®ve countries concerning the calculation
GOG 111 study was 59 and 60 years, respectively [7]. The
with 1.925 and 0.642 years of life expectancy. For the
age, gender and race adjusted life expectancy of these patients
assumed higher and lower life expectancies, sensitivity ana-
was 22.1±24.4 years [14], whilst the median survival among
lyses were also carried out for decreased and increased drug
PC and CC treated patients in the GOG 111 study was 3.2
and 2 years, respectively. Using the DEALE approach, thecalculated speci®c average life expectancy in the PC and CC
treatment groups was 3.848 and 2.565 years, respectively,
On the basis of the ®ndings of the GOG 111 study, we
giving an average incremental life expectancy among PC
decided to perform an incremental cost-eVectiveness analysis
recipients of 1.283 years (Table 4). The incremental cost-
(i.e. cost per life-year saved). In contrast to cost-bene®t and
eVectiveness (cost per life-year saved) of PC compared with
cost-minimisation analyses, which express costs and con-
CC was, therefore, calculated at US$9,362 in Germany,
sequences in monetary units, a cost-eVectiveness analysis
US$6,395 in Spain, US$6,642 in France, US$11 420 in
expresses costs in monetary units and eVectiveness (out-
Italy, US$7,796 in The Netherlands and US$6,403 in the
comes) in non-monetary units. If two or more interventions
U.K. (Table 6). The cost-eVectiveness ratios of other onco-
have the same treatment objective but diVerent degrees of
logical therapies for comparison are shown in Table 7.
preferred method. One of the advantages of incremental cost-
eVectiveness analysis is that it provides healthcare decision-
As the greatest diVerence between the two regimens related
makers with a common denominator by which various
to the costs of chemotherapy/co-medication and hospitalisa-
healthcare interventions can be tentatively compared, which
tion, these parameters were further investigated in sensitivity
may aid decision making with regard to optimal allocation of
analyses (Table 8). Presenting, for example, the cost sensi-
scarce resources. In a recent analysis of 500 life-saving inter-
tivity analysis of Italy with an assumption of an incremental
ventions in the U.S.A., for example, Tengs and colleagues
increase in speci®c life expectancy of 1.283 years and that the
reported that the cost of postsurgical chemotherapy for pre-
costs of drugs and hospitalisation for the PC regimen are each
menopausal women with breast cancer was US$18 000 per
reduced by an arbitrary ®gure of 20%, then the cost per life-
life-year saved [14]. Among non-oncological interventions, the
year saved among PC recipients decreases to US$9,551 and
incremental cost-eVectiveness of b-adrenoreceptor antagonists
Table 7. Cost-eVectiveness ratios of diVerent oncological therapies
ABMT for relapse metastatic Hodgkin's disease
Bone marrow transplant and high (versus standard) chemotherapy for breast cancer
Postsurgical chemotherapy for woman with breast cancer age 60 years
Postsurgical chemotherapy for premenopausal woman with breast cancer
Interferon alpha-2b in hairy cell leukaemia
Paclitaxel as ®rst-line chemotherapy (six European countries)
CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen; ABMT, autologous bone marrow transplantation; CMF, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate ¯uorouracil;ANLL, acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia.
Table 8. Sensitivity analysis for Germany, Spain, France, Italy, The Netherlands and the U.K. All costs are in US$ (April 1996)
Decrease cost of hospitalisation for PC regimen by
Increase cost of hospitalisation for PC regimen by
*Cost of chemotherapy and co-medication. PC, paclitaxel±cisplatin.
for low-risk patients following myocardial infarction was esti-
sion-free survival compared with standard CC chemotherapy
mated at US$16 897 per life-year saved [14]. Whilst the latter
in the GOG 111 study [7]. Thus, the ability of PC to delay
study was performed in the U.S.A. and, therefore, its ®ndings
disease progression, which is the most important factor in
are not directly comparable with other countries, these ®gures
determining the quality of life of patients with advanced can-
indicate the acceptable cost to society of many life-saving
cer, is likely to have improved the quality of life of surviving
medical interventions. The incremental cost-eVectiveness of
patients. Therefore, the cost utility of PC (i.e. cost per qual-
US$6,403 to US$11 420 per life-year saved for patients trea-
ity-adjusted life-year saved) as ®rst-line therapy in advanced
ted with PC for advanced ovarian cancer in six European
ovarian cancer warrants further investigation. Indeed, a cost
countries, therefore, compares favourably with other life-sav-
utility analysis would enable the eVects of this innovative
ing interventions. Furthermore, even if the improvement in
chemotherapy regimen on patients' quality of life and survival
survival is reduced by 50% to 0.642 years, the incremental
to be considered together, by converting both in a common
cost-eVectiveness of PC continues to remain acceptable when
unit of measure. Moreover, recent clinical trials have shown
compared with other oncological therapies. The analysis
that carboplatin, a platinum compound with a better ther-
shows some diVerences between the European countries
apeutic index than the one of cisplatin, is safe and eVective
concerning the proportion between chemotherapy drug costs
when used in combination with paclitaxel in patients with
and hospitalisation costs. In France, the hospitalisation costs
advanced ovarian cancer and the cost-eVectiveness of this
are very high (75.7% of all costs) in the CC treatment group,
combination regimen warrants further investigation.
whereas in the U.K. the hospitalisation costs are nearly as
In conclusion, paclitaxel, in combination with cisplatin, is
high as the other costs (32.6% for hospitalisation versus
clinically more eVective than a standard CC regimen (in
21.1% for treatment and 37.1% for laboratory and consulta-
terms of duration of progression-free and overall survival) as
®rst-line chemotherapy following incomplete surgical resec-
Whilst the present study is limited by the fact that it was a
tion of advanced ovarian cancer. From the national health
retrospective analysis and that the cost structure was princi-
service payer's perspective of six selected European countries
pally determined by expert opinion from interviews with a
(Germany, Spain, France, Italy, The Netherlands and the
limited number of physicians, it does provide an interesting
U.K.), the incremental cost-eVectiveness of PC was calcu-
insight into the cost structure of treating advanced ovarian
lated at US$6,403 to US$11 420 per life-year saved, which
cancer. We found that the main cost drivers in the treatment
compares favourably with other oncological and non-oncolo-
of advanced ovarian cancer in the six European countries are
gical interventions. These ®ndings suggest that healthcare
drug and hospitalisation costs, which con®rms the ®ndings of
decision makers should consider PC as a cost-eVective ther-
previous economic analyses of the GOG 111 study from
apeutic option for ®rst-line management of advanced ovarian
Canadian and US healthcare perspectives [9±11]. When the
contribution of the diVerent costs included in the presentanalysis are compared between the two regimens, it can be
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