Economic Analysis of Vinorelbine Plus Cisplatin Versus Paclitaxel Plus Carboplatin for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung

Background: It is increasingly important to have timely in-formation about the economic impact of new cancer thera-pies in today’s cost-conscious environment. Nearly 170 000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer annually in the United States. We performed an economic analysis alongside Southwest Oncology Group Trial S9509 to estimate the cost-effectiveness of cisplatin plus vinorelbine versus carboplatin plus paclitaxel for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. There were no statistically significant differ-ences in survival or cancer-related quality of life between the treatment arms. Methods: Use of both protocol and nonpro-tocol lung cancer-related health care was tracked for 24 months from the initiation of therapy. To determine expen-ditures, nationally standardized costs were applied to each type of health care service used, and these were summe