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[Effectiveness and cost of 5-HT3-antagonists in acute chemotherapy-induced emesis. Health-economic analysis based on
1Institut für Health Economics and Disease Management, Celle.
Background:
Cost containment measures in hospitals suspect the efficiency of 5-HT3-receptor antagonists (5-HT3-RA) in treating chemotherapy-induced emesis.
Research:
This paper compares the cost-efficacy of acute antiemetic interventions both for high and moderate emetogenic cancer treatments. The cost-efficacy-analysis is based on a recent metaanalysis comparing metoclopramide (MCP)- and 5-HT3-RA-containing antiemetic regimens both in comedication with corticosteroids. Total costs for treating moderate emetogenic cancer treatments sum up to DM 53.- for MCP-regimens and DM 55.- for 5-HT3-RA resp. In high emetogenic cancer treatments total costs for MCP-regimens are DM 76.- and DM 61.- for 5-HT3-RA. Total costs for fully controlled patients in moderate emetogenic cancer treatments are DM 77.- for MCP and DM 71.- for 5-HT3-RA. In high emetogenic cancer treatments costs for the fully controlled patient with MCP-regimens are DM 126.- and DM 79.- with 5-HT3-RA.
Conclusion:
Even under mere economical considerations 5-HT3-RAs should be prescribed in treating acute chemotherapy-induced emesis.