Rituximab as third-line treatment for refractory or recurrent Stage III or IV follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a systematic review and economic evaluation

Wake B, Hyde C, Bryan S, Barton P, Song F, Fry-Smith A, Davenport C
Record ID 32002000362
English
Authors' objectives:

To determine whether rituximab, a novel immunotherapeutic agent, should be more widely used in its currently licensed indication for Stage III or IV follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) that is chemoresistant or in its second or subsequent relapse after chemotherapy, that is, as a third line of treatment.

Authors' recommendations: The extent to which beneficial effects are outweighed by adverse events is impossible to quantify. Qualitatively, rituximab is probably effective. Any impression of a poor ratio of benefit to disbenefit should be tempered by the observation that incomplete response rates and severe adverse events are common to all currently used third-line treatments for follicular NHL. The absence of direct comparative data makes it very difficult to assess whether the ratio of benefits to disbenefits with rituximab is better, worse or the same as currently used alternatives. Reliable estimates of the relative cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of rituximab cannot currently be provided, given the uncertainties surrounding the level of net benefits.
Authors' methods: Systematic review
Details
Project Status: Completed
URL for project: http://www.hta.ac.uk/1293
Year Published: 2002
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: England, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Lymphoma, Follicular
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
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
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