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Methodology of economic assessment: example in oncology Volume 90, issue 11, Novembre 2003

Authors
Département d‘information médicale, UMR 5823 CNRS, Hospices civils, 162, avenue Lacassagne, 69424 Lyon Cedex 03 Service d‘oncologie médicale, Centre hospitalier Lyon‐Sud, et EA « Ciblage thérapeutique », Université Claude‐Bernard Lyon 1, Hospices Civils de Lyon

The increasing costs of care make it important to identify those strategies of greatest value from both an effectiveness and cost perpective. Economic analysis is characterized by a simultaneous consideration of alternatives costs and outcomes, and can provide useful data for managerial decision making. In this paper, methods of economic evaluations in general and in cancer in particular is reviewed. In cancer treatment, preventive, curative or palliative strategies can be concerned. Economic evaluation have become increasingly important in oncology because of the proliferation of expensive new treatments. Furthermore, considering quality of life effects is particularly important in oncology, where many treatments obtain modest improvements in response or survival. Quality of life measurements are also reviewed. ▴