RESUMEN
AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The addition of oxaliplatin to the widely employed De Gramont schedule (FOLFOX regimen) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer improved their outcome with a moderate toxicity pattern. The adaptation of the delivery rate of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin to circadian rhythms (chronotherapy) resulted in a very high drug tolerability with clinical results at least comparable to those achieved with the FOLFOX regimen. However, chronomodulated infusion seemed to be more expensive, requiring dedicated electronic pumps and several disposable materials. The present study aimed to compare the direct costs of the two regimens and to determine whether chronotherapy was effectively more expensive than the FOLFOX regimen. STUDY DESIGN: The direct costs of drug delivery devices derived from various publicly available sources and of toxicity management as extrapolated from two published studies considering comparable patient subsets were added and compared. RESULTS: Pump, central venous system and disposable materials for a single chronotherapy cycle were Euro 193 or Euro 212 according to whether the pumps were bought or rented, compared to Euro 58 for the FOLFOX regimen. Toxicity management costs were Euro 144 vs Euro 288 for the two schemes, respectively. Globally, a single course of chronotherapy cost Euro 337 or Euro 356, whereas a single FOLFOX cycle cost Euro 346. CONCLUSIONS: Direct costs for a single chronotherapy cycle appeared to be comparable to a single course of the FOLFOX regimen. In fact, the major material cost of chronochemotherapy devices was balanced by a better tolerability profile. The overall improvement in quality of life with chronochemotherapy affecting indirect costs, such as reduction of work, and intangible costs is worthy of further pharmacoeconomic attention.