Analytical approach:
: This economic evaluation was based on a Markov model with a five-year horizon. The authors stated that a health care system perspective was adopted.
Effectiveness data:
The clinical data were mainly from a single study. Experts’ opinions were used where there was a lack of published data. The primary clinical outcomes were disease-free survival and overall survival, at four years.
Monetary benefit and utility valuations:
The utility estimates were from published studies, the details of which were not provided.
Measure of benefit:
Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were the benefit measures and were discounted at an annual rate of 3%.
Cost data:
The cost categories were the study drugs (acquisition, pharmacist preparation, time on infusion chair, and nurse time), routine observation, and the medical costs for each health state (disease free, salvage, subsequent remissions, bone marrow transplantation, and refractory). The unit costs and resource quantities were not presented separately. The costs were based on published studies. They were in US dollars ($) and were discounted at an annual rate of 3%. The price year was 2006.
Analysis of uncertainty:
One- and two-way sensitivity analyses were undertaken on the model inputs, using assumed ranges of values (±20% for most variables).