Cost of treating metastatic colorectal cancer: a systematic review

Objective: The cost of treating metastatic colorectal cancer places a significant economic burden on in-dividuals, populations, and health care. However, there is a paucity of information on the costs of the contemporary management of metastatic colorectal cancer. This systematic review aims to review the literature to estimate the direct cost of treating metastatic colorectal cancer.Study design: Systematic review.Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews: National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database Guide, EconLit, and grey literature from the 1st of January 2000 to the 1st of February 2020 were all searched for studies reporting the direct costs of treating metastatic colorectal cancer. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Evers' Consensus on Health Economic Criteria checklist. Results: In total, 39,489 records were retrieved, and 29 studies were included. Costs of treating meta-static colorectal cancer varied because of the heterogeneity of treatment. Studies reported average costs ranged from $12,346 to $293,461. Studies that included the cost of systemic therapy reported an esti-mated cost of almost $300,000.Conclusion: The existing evidence indicates that the cost of treating metastatic colorectal cancer places a significant economic burden on healthcare systems despite differences in methodology and treatment heterogeneity. Future research needs to define the cost components of treating metastatic colorectal cancer to improve comparability and examine the relationship between spending, overall survival, and quality of life. Identifying these costs and their impact on health care budgets can help policymakers plan health system expenditure.(c) 2022 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This systematic review examines the direct cost of treating metastatic colorectal cancer and highlights the significant economic burden it places on healthcare systems. The review emphasizes the need for future research to define cost components and examine the relationship between spending, overall survival, and quality of life.