Pharmacoeconomic analysis of capecitabine versus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin as adjuvant therapy for stage III colon cancer in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the cost-effectiveness of oral capecitabine compared with intravenous bolus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV) in the adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer in Taiwan from payer (Bureau of National Health Insurance [BNHI]) perspectives. METHODS: A health state-transition model was developed to estimate the incremental costs and effectiveness of capecitabine versus 5-FU/LV. The time horizons studied were: treatment duration (24 weeks) plus 36 months, 48 months, 60 months, 120 months, and lifetime. Costs were expressed in Taiwanese new dollars (NT$). Clinical outcomes, medical resource use, and utilities were extracted from published sources. Unit costs were estimated from BNHI fee schedules, published sources, and local expert opinion. Outcomes and future costs were discounted at 3%. Cost-effectiveness was expressed as cost per quality-adjusted life-month (QALM). The effects of uncertainty were explored through a one-way sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: For the 24-week time period, drug acquisition costs were higher for capecitabine than 5-FU/LV (NT$114,405 vs. NT$4,904 per patient); however, these were offset by the higher administration costs of 5-FU/LV (NT$2,573 vs. NT$204,201 per patient). Overall direct costs for the 24-week treatment period were less with capecitabine than 5-FU/LV (NT$129,327 vs. NT$233,873 per patient). Cost savings with capecitabine were also evident when longer time horizons were considered. Over a lifetime, the projected survival benefit for capecitabine was 7 QALMs. CONCLUSIONS: From the perspectives of the BNHI and society in Taiwan, capecitabine not only saves costs but also improves health outcomes compared with 5-FU/LV in the adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer.

Sinonasal NK/T-cell lymphoma with upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a case report.

Natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma is the most common malignant lymphoma among sinonasal lymphomas. Diagnosis is difficult and prognosis is poor. Herein, we report the case of a 22-year-old male patient with sinonasal NK/T-cell lymphoma who first presented with nasal obstruction and left facial swelling. There was a mushroom-like mass over the hard palate, diffuse mucosal swelling in the left nasal cavity, and left orbital cellulitis. The patient underwent a Caldwell-Luc operation, functional endoscopic sinus surgery, and wide excision of the palate tumor. Pathologic examination of the maxillary sinus, nasal cavity, and palate tumor showed an NK/T-cell lymphoma. Two days after the operation, the patient suddenly had bloody stool and suffered hematemesis. A series of examinations revealed a small intestinal hemorrhage. Emergent exploratory laparotomy showed an ulcerative tumor mass with bleeding over the jejunum. Pathologic examination of the mass showed that it was the same as the sinonasal mass, an NK/T-cell lymphoma. We reviewed previous studies on nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma and found no report discussing patients with NK/T-cell lymphoma of both nasal and non-nasal origins. From this case, we learned that in patients with sinonasal NK/T-cell lymphoma, other sites may be involved.