The cost of molecular-guided therapy in oncology: a prospective cost study alongside the MOSCATO trial
Menée en France à partir de données portant sur 529 patients atteints d'un cancer de stade avancé (âge moyen : 54 ans) et inclus dans l'essai clinique MOSCATO, cette étude prospective analyse les coûts associés aux technologies de diagnostic moléculaire et aux thérapies ciblées
Aim: There is increasing use of molecular technologies to guide cancer treatments, but few cost data are available. Our objective was to assess the costs of molecular-guided therapy for patients with advanced solid tumors alongside the Molecular Screening for Cancer Treatment and Optimization (MOSCATO) trial. Materials and methods: The study population consisted of 529 patients. The molecular diagnosis included seven steps from tumor biopsy to the multidisciplinary molecular tumor board. The cost of a complete molecular diagnosis was assessed by micro-costing. Direct costs incurred from enrollment until progression were assessed from the French National Health Insurance perspective. Results: The patients’ mean age was 54 years (range: 3–82) and the mean follow-up period was 145 days (range: 1–707 days). A complete molecular diagnosis cost euro2,396. There were 220 patients with an actionable target (42%), among whom 105 (20%) actually received a targeted therapy. The cost of molecular-guided therapy per patient was euro31,269. The main cost drivers were anticancer drugs (54%) and hospitalizations (35%). Conclusion: This prospective cost analysis showed that molecular diagnosis accounts for only 6% of the cost of molecular-guided therapy per patient. The costs of drugs and hospitalizations are the main cost drivers.