A rapid and systematic review of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of gemcitabine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer

Ward S, Morris E, Bansback N, Calvert N, Crellin A, Forman D, Larvin M, Radstone D
Record ID 32001000970
English
Authors' objectives:

This review aims to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of gemcitabine as first and second line therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Authors' recommendations: Gemcitabine as first line therapy: Until Phase II studies with existing or new drugs, alone or in combination, demonstrate significant improved benefit in pancreatic cancer, randomised studies are likely to be directed towards toxicity, QoL and any small survival benefits that may be obtained with gemcitabine alone compared with a modern 5-FU-based protocol or a combination of the two. The evidence for QoL benefits of gemcitabine is particularly poor. There is widespread acknowledgement of the need for a RCT to confirm the survival benefits of gemcitabine and, particularly, to enable the collation of acceptable QoL data. Gemcitabine as second line therapy: Further high-quality randomised trial evidence is required to determine fully the value of gemcitabine as a second line treatment.
Authors' methods: Systematic review
Details
Project Status: Completed
URL for project: http://www.hta.ac.uk/1197
Year Published: 2001
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: England, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Drug Therapy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms
Contact
Organisation Name: NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme
Contact Address: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK
Contact Name: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Contact Email: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Copyright: 2009 Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.