Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Childhood cancer survivors treated with anthracyclines are at high risk for asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction (ALVD), subsequent heart failure, and death. The consensus-based Children's Oncology Group (COG) Long-Term Follow-up Guidelines recommend lifetime echocardiographic screening for ALVD.Objective
To evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the COG guidelines and to identify more cost-effective screening strategies.Design
Simulation of life histories using Markov health states.Data sources
Childhood Cancer Survivor Study; published literature.Target population
Childhood cancer survivors.Time horizon
Lifetime.Perspective
Societal.Intervention
Echocardiographic screening followed by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and β-blocker therapies after ALVD diagnosis.Outcome measures
Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), costs, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) in dollars per QALY, and cumulative incidence of heart failure.Results of base-case analysis
The COG guidelines versus no screening have an ICER of $61 500, extend life expectancy by 6 months and QALYs by 1.6 months, and reduce the cumulative incidence of heart failure by 18% at 30 years after cancer diagnosis. However, less frequent screenings are more cost-effective than the guidelines and maintain 80% of the health benefits.Results of sensitivity analysis
The ICER was most sensitive to the magnitude of ALVD treatment efficacy; higher treatment efficacy resulted in lower ICER.Limitation
Lifetime non-heart failure mortality and the cumulative incidence of heart failure more than 20 years after diagnosis were extrapolated; the efficacy of ACE inhibitor and β-blocker therapy in childhood cancer survivors with ALVD is undetermined (or unknown).Conclusion
The COG guidelines could reduce the risk for heart failure in survivors at less than $100 000/QALY. Less frequent screening achieves most of the benefits and would be more cost-effective than the COG guidelines.
SUBMITTER: Wong FL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4073480 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Wong F Lennie FL Bhatia Smita S Landier Wendy W Francisco Liton L Leisenring Wendy W Hudson Melissa M MM Armstrong Gregory T GT Mertens Ann A Stovall Marilyn M Robison Leslie L LL Lyman Gary H GH Lipshultz Steven E SE Armenian Saro H SH
Annals of internal medicine 20140501 10
<h4>Background</h4>Childhood cancer survivors treated with anthracyclines are at high risk for asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction (ALVD), subsequent heart failure, and death. The consensus-based Children's Oncology Group (COG) Long-Term Follow-up Guidelines recommend lifetime echocardiographic screening for ALVD.<h4>Objective</h4>To evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the COG guidelines and to identify more cost-effective screening strategies.<h4>Design</h4>Simulation of life ...[more]