Treatment Costs of Adjuvant Cytotoxic Therapy in Premenopausal Breast Cancer Patients
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3109/02841868809091783Keywords:
Breast cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy, costsAbstract
AbstractThe interest in cost calculations of medical treatment programs has increased during the last decade. In the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group's (DBCG) protocol 77B, 1 028 premenopausal patients were randomized after mastectomy to radiotherapy (RT) alone (control), RT + 12 cycles of cyclophosphamide (C) or to RT + 12 cycles of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluoro-uracil (CMF). This study analyzes the costs associated with systemic treatment and follow-up programs in the 3 regimens. Costs connected with the primary mastectomy and the radiotherapy, which were identical in the 3 regimens, have not been included in the analysis. The analysis shows that the expenses for the postoperative treatment and follow-up program for 9 years in the control regimen are 8 250 DKK, whereas the costs for the C regimen are 11000 DKK, and the costs for the CMF regimen are 18000 DKK.