1. ¹Department of Medicine, Royal Marsden NHS Trust, Davis Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK
2. ²Bristol Oncology Centre, Bristol, UK
3. ³Aventis Pharma, West Malling, UK

Correspondence: D Cunningham, E-mail: jane.neil@rmh.nthames.nhs.uk

Received 12 October 2001; Accepted 22 January 2002.

Abstract

The combination of irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid has clinical and survival benefits over 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid alone in the setting of first line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. The aim of this cost-effectiveness analysis was to compare the economic implications, from a UK health commissioner perspective, of the two treatment arms (de Gramont regimen) in this setting. Resource utilisation data collected prospectively during the study were used as a basis for estimating cumulative drug dosage, chemotherapy admistration, and treatment of complications during first line therapy. Resource utilisation associated with further chemotherapy in patients who had progressed during the study was derived from a retrospective case note review. Drug acquisition costs were derived from the British National Formulary (September, 2001) and unit costs for clinical consultation and services were taken from the latest relevant cost database. Cumulative costs per patient associated with further chemotherapy were lower in the irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid treatment arm. Based on incremental costs per life-year gained of £14794, the combination of irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid can be considered cost-effective by commonly accepted criteria compared with 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid alone. Thus, clinical and economic data demonstrate that irinotecan, either in combination with irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid in the first line setting or as monotherapy in the second line setting, has a major role in the management of metastatic colorectal cancer.