A federally funded study found two different colorectal cancer treatments to have similar efficacy, but a new cost analysis has found there is a significant difference in cost between the two treatment options, according to a Medscape report.
The study examined the cost of chemotherapy backbone with bevacizumab and chemotherapy backbone with cetuximab as first line therapies. Survival was nearly 30 months for each antibody group, according to the report.
The cost analysis found the average cost of one bevacizumab eight-week cycle per person was $9,324. On the other hand an eight-week cycle of cetuximab was $20,856.
Here are four costs to consider when comparing the two different treatments:
Bevacizumab
• Chemotherapy: $2,894
• Antibody: $33,500
• Hospital/acute care: $28,951
• Total cost: $66,075
Cetuximab
• Chemotherapy: $2,616
• Antibody: $71,718
• Hospital/acute care: $28,494
• Total cost: $105,339