Direct costs associated with the management of mucositis: A systematic review.

Mucositis is one of the more frequent and costly adverse events following cancer treatment. To evaluate and report the direct economic outcomes associated with the management of mucositis across several cancer treatments we conducted a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed, and Embase were searched electronically and a total of 37 relevant studies were included. The costs attributable to mucositis in the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation setting ranged from 1124,47 US dollars (USD) to 299 214,14 USD per patient. The radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy/radiotherapy plus molecular targeted therapy accounted for mucositis costs that ranged from 51,23 USD to 33 560,58 USD per patient. Costs for mucositis in the chemotherapy setting ranged from 4,18 USD to 31 963,64 USD per patient. When the cancer treatment was not specified, costs of mucositis ranged from 565,85 USD to as high as 20 279, 12 USD per patient. Mucositis costs from multimodal therapy ranged from 12,42 USD to 5670,46 USD per patient. The molecular targeted therapy setting included only one study and depending on the healthcare providers' perspective of each country evaluated, mucositis' costs ranged from 45,78 USD to 3484,91 USD per patient. Mucositis is associated with increased resource use, consultations, hospitalizations and extended hospitalizations, leading to a substantial incremental cost that exacerbates the economic burden on the patient, health plan and health system across several cancer treatments and diagnosis. More studies with a prospective evaluation of the economic costs associated with mucositis management are needed.

Cost-effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in head and neck cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiation.

BACKGROUND: Oral mucositis is a major event increasing treatment costs of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with chemoradiation (CRT). This study was designed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to prevent oral mucositis in HNSCC patients receiving CRT. METHODS: From June 2007 to December 2010, 94 patients with HNSCC of nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx entered a prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trial. CRT consisted of conventional radiotherapy (RT: 70.2 Gy, 1.8 Gy/d, 5 times/wk)+concurrent cisplatin (100mg/m2) every 3 weeks. An InGaAlP (660 nm-100 mW-4J/cm2) laser diode was used for LLLT. RESULTS: From the perspective of Brazil's public health care system (SUS), total costs were higher in Placebo Group (PG) than Laser Group (LG) for opioid use (LG=US$ 9.08, PG=US$ 44.28), gastrostomy feeding (LG=US$ 50.50, PG=US$ 129.86), and hospitalization (PG=US$ 77.03). In LG, the cost was higher for laser therapy only (US$ 1880.57). The total incremental cost associated with the use of LLLT was US$ 1689.00 per patient. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was US$ 4961.37 per grade 3-4 OM case prevented compared to no treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that morbidity was lower in the Laser Group and that LLLT was more cost-effective than placebo up to a threshold of at least US$ 5000 per mucositis case prevented. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION: NCT01439724.