Healthcare cost by primary tumour, functioning status and treatment among patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours: The LyREMeNET study.

The annual prevalence of metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (mNETs) is rising, leading to significant healthcare costs. The present study aimed to describe healthcare resource use (HRU) and the corresponding costs among patients with mNETs, according to primary tumour location, functioning status and type of treatments. The LyREMeNET study included consecutive mNET patients with a diagnosis performed between January 2010 and December 2017, who were seen at least once in the ENETS center of excellence in Lyon. The median HRU and costs per patient were estimated, up to 3 years before and after the diagnosis. The Cancer database of the center was linked to the French national health data system. HRU and related costs were described per person per month (PPPM). Among 316 patients presenting with a mNET, 48.4% had a small-intestinal mNET, 32.3% had a pancreatic mNET and 39.2% had carcinoid syndrome. The mean overall cost increased from €615 to €2875 PPPM between the years preceding and following the diagnosis, and remained above €2500 in the two subsequent years. The two main cost drivers of total healthcare expenditure were drugs (€1161) and hospital stay (€662). Median costs of mNETs arising from pancreas and small intestine were €2325 and €2540 PPPM, respectively. Costs were higher in patients with a functional mNET (€2807 PPPM for carcinoid syndrome) and during peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) (€8835 PPPM). The highest overall cost was found during the first year following the diagnosis. Cost of care was higher for small intestine mNETs, for functional mNETs and during peptide receptor radionuclide therapy.

Quality of life and cost of strategies of two chemotherapy lines in metastatic colorectal cancer: results of the FFCD 2000-05 trial.

Objectives: This study compared the cost and quality of life (QoL) of 407 advanced colorectal cancer patients, randomly assigned to receive LV5FU2 followed by FOLFOX6 (sequential strategy) or FOLFOX6 followed by FOLFIRI (combination strategy). Methods: Costs were compared from the French health insurance perspective, until the end of the second line of treatment. Consumed resources, collected during the trial, included medicines, hospitalizations, examinations, and transportation. Valuations were made using 2009 and 2016 tariffs. QoL was assessed using the QLQ-C30 questionnaire and clinically significant variations were searched. Results: In 2009, the mean cost per patient was significantly lower for the sequential strategy compared to the combination strategy (18,061€ and 23,119€, p = 0.001). In 2016, the difference was no longer significant (16,876€ and 18,090€, p = 0.41) because oxaliplatin and irinotecan became generics. The QoL analysis (292 patients) showed that there was significantly less improvement of global health status in the sequential strategy than in the combination strategy (29% and 42%; p = 0.02) during first-line therapy. No significant differences were observed for emotional functioning (p = 0.45) and physical functioning (p = 0.07) or during second-line therapy. Conclusion: The choice to treat patients with advanced colorectal cancer using one or the other strategy cannot be based on costs or QoL.

Correlation and agreement between contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and perfusion computed tomography for assessment of liver metastases from endocrine tumors: normalization enhances correlation.

We studied correlation and agreement between perfusion parameters derived from contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and computed tomography (CT). Both techniques were performed in 16 patients with proven liver metastases from endocrine tumor. Replenishment study after ultrasound-induced destruction of microbubbles was used for CEUS quantification. CEUS-derived relative values of blood flow, blood volume and mean transit time were compared with perfusion CT-derived parameters measured in the same tumors. Significant correlation was observed between CEUS normalized values and CT absolute tumor values for blood flow (r = 0.58; p = 0.018), blood volume (r = 0.61; p = 0.012) and mean transit time (r = 0.52; p = 0.037). Correlation was not significant for non-normalized values. Agreement between CEUS normalized values and perfusion CT relative values was significant (p < 0.04). Estimated bias between CEUS and CT for relative perfusion values was -1.38 (-5.02; 2.27) for blood flow, +0.26 (-0.79; 1.31) for blood volume and +0.21 (-0.46; 0.87) for mean transit time. We conclude that normalization markedly increased correlation between CEUS- and CT-derived perfusion values and allowed agreement assessment.