The CAP-CR study: direct medical costs in Italian metastatic colorectal cancer patients on first-line infusional 5-fluorouracil or oral capecitabine.

AIM

To describe the healthcare resource consumption of metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) patients in the Italian healthcare setting.

METHODS

A retrospective chart analysis estimating direct medical costs of first-line infusional 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) or oral Capecitabine (CAP), associated or not with other chemotherapies, from the Italian Healthcare Service (IHCS) and Hospital (H) perspectives.

RESULTS

202 subjects were analysed. CAP patients (N=66) were older, with a more compromised clinical status and received less chemotherapy agents in association than 5-FU patients (N=136). From the IHCS perspective, mean total costs per patient were 12,029 euro and 5,781 euro in the 5-FU and CAP arms respectively; 7,338 euro and 4,688 euro from the H perspective. The infusional administration route of 5-FU was a cost driver from both perspectives. Sensitivity analyses found the results to be robust to variations in base case parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Management of MCRC by oral chemotherapies may be an economically advantageous option to both IHCS and hospitals.