Cost-effectiveness of cetuximab for colorectal cancer

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Cetuximab is a novel biological agent with superior therapeutic efficacy for colorectal cancer treatment. This study aimed to systematically review the existing evidence related to the cost-effectiveness of cetuximab.Areas covered: Using Medline and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, a total of 12 articles were identified. Previous studies have shown mixed results on the cost-effectiveness of first-line cetuximab combined with FOLFIRI (5-Fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan). However, cetuximab-irinotecan therapy as third-line treatment has consistently been found to be cost-ineffective compared to best supportive care or no third-line therapy. The Kristen-rat-Sarcoma-viral-oncogene (KRAS) testing strategy prior to cetuximab use has been reported as cost-effective compared with the cetuximab-containing strategy without KRAS testing.Expert commentary: The results should be interpreted with consideration of the specific healthcare settings in which cetuximab use was evaluated. Fu...