The CAP-CR study: direct medical costs in Italian metastatic colorectal cancer patients on first-line infusional 5-fluorouracil or oral capecitabine.

AIM: To describe the healthcare resource consumption of metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) patients in the Italian healthcare setting. METHODS: A retrospective chart analysis estimating direct medical costs of first-line infusional 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) or oral Capecitabine (CAP), associated or not with other chemotherapies, from the Italian Healthcare Service (IHCS) and Hospital (H) perspectives. RESULTS: 202 subjects were analysed. CAP patients (N=66) were older, with a more compromised clinical status and received less chemotherapy agents in association than 5-FU patients (N=136). From the IHCS perspective, mean total costs per patient were 12,029 euro and 5,781 euro in the 5-FU and CAP arms respectively; 7,338 euro and 4,688 euro from the H perspective. The infusional administration route of 5-FU was a cost driver from both perspectives. Sensitivity analyses found the results to be robust to variations in base case parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Management of MCRC by oral chemotherapies may be an economically advantageous option to both IHCS and hospitals.