Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Chemoradiation and Radiotherapy Treatment for Stage IIB and IIIB Cervical Cancer Patients.

PURPOSE

Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer and cause of death from cancer in Indonesia. In 2013, cervical cancer was the most prevalent cancer in Indonesia, with a rate of 0.8 per 1000 women. Based on the National Guidelines for Cervical Cancer Medical Services in Indonesia, the recommended therapy for stages IIB-IIIB cervical cancer is chemoradiation or radiotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of chemoradiation and radiotherapy for treating stage IIB-IIIB cervical cancer in a national referral hospital in Indonesia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study from a healthcare perspective using retrospective patient data was conducted. The included patients had stage IIB-IIIB registered cervical cancer, were in the hospital between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017, received chemoradiation or radiotherapy, were ≥18 years old, and had complete clinical data and detailed cost of therapy data. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were calculated, and a sensitivity analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The average treatment cost per patient was $2944 and $3231 for radiotherapy and chemoradiation, respectively. Despite the fact that the treatment effectiveness of chemoradiation (69.1%) was considered to be higher than that of radiotherapy (63.2%), chemoradiation had more potential side effects than radiotherapy. In a comparison with radiotherapy, the ICER of chemoradiation was $48.6 per complete response rate. Additionally, the cost of radiotherapy was the most influential parameter impacting the ICER.

CONCLUSION

Chemoradiation was considered to be more costly than radiotherapy. Additionally, the effectiveness of chemoradiation was higher than that of radiotherapy. A cost utility analysis (CUA) is required for further investigation.