Pharmacoeconomic Evaluations of Oral Anticancer Drugs

Abstract

Background: Oral anticancer drugs (OACDs) have been used since the 1950s and are expected to be linked with enhanced life quality which helps patients receive treatment at home. Although more convenient in use than intravenous or other infused drugs, the high costs of these OACDs have been proven controversial. Methods: The literature was searched systematically from PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Scopus according to the PRISMA guidelines. The inclusion criteria included studies in the English language, evaluating Pharmacoeconomics, and evaluating cost-utility and cost-effectiveness related to OACDs. The information on the included studies was synthesized in the form of summary tables. Results: Thirteen studies were included for quantitative analysis, which evaluated the costs or cost-effectiveness of different OACDs used for various types of cancer. It was found that the average cost for the OACDs was $80979/year in attaining (quality-adjusted life per year) QALY across different countries. The costs of different OACDs were highly varied alone in the US. The included studies' results were highly varied, limiting the findings' interpretations. Conclusion: Various studies about cost-effectiveness persist insufficiently represented in the literature regarding OACDs, suggesting the requirement of more cost-effectiveness analysis shortly. The increased costs of these OACDs require careful evaluation of the cost-effectiveness studies.

Keywords

• Pharmacoeconomics
• Oral anticancers
• Systematic review
• Cost analysis