Sunday, December 1 | 10: 40 a.m.-10:50 a.m. | S2-STCE1-2 | Learning Center Theater 1
The use of theranostic radionuclides such as radium-223 or lutetium-177 to treat men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is more cost-effective in the long term than traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, suggests a study in this session. This is due to improved survival and quality of life, despite its higher initial costs, according to the researchers.
Presenter Ahmed Qasim Mohammed Alhatemi, MD, of the Al Nasiriyah Teaching Hospital in Iraq, and colleagues culled data on costs from a meta-analysis and then assessed cost-effectiveness ratios, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and overall survival for both theranostics and conventional therapies. They identified 12 studies involving 1,820 patients.
Theranostics demonstrated a higher incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $45,000 per QALY gained compared to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with ICERs of $60,000 and $75,000 per QALY, according to the analysis. Theranostics also showed a statistically significant improvement in median overall survival by six months compared with traditional therapies.
According to the group, incorporating theranostics into standard care protocols is advisable, as it enhances patient outcomes while maintaining acceptable cost-effectiveness thresholds.
“Policymakers and healthcare providers should consider these findings to optimize treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes in mPCa [metastatic prostate cancer] care,” the team noted.
