Authors' objectives:

To summarise the available evidence on 131-Iodine tositumomab for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Authors' recommendations: - Clinical impact: Iodine-131 tositumomab is entering a market with many other treatment options. Trial results suggest a beneficial effect on response and median time to relapse, although full results from trials are still awaited. An estimated 300 to 550 patients may be eligible for therapy with iodine-131 tositumomab. - Service impact: There is unlikely to be a significant service impact associated with the introduction of iodine-131 tositumomab, however an inpatient stay is required because of the possibility of radiation exposure to other people. The radiolabelling process and regulations will be familiar to nuclear medicine departments. - Additional factors: Because of its prolonged nature any drug with the potential to lengthen survival in NHL will be welcomed by doctors, patients and carers. - Financial and overall NHS impact: During the course of NHL patients are given many different regimes and iodine-131 tositumomab will be an additional cost, but in some cases it may replace or postpone other treatment options. This needs to be clarified in cost-effectiveness data.

Authors' methods: Overview

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2002

URL for published report: http://www.hsric.nihr.ac.uk/search

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre

Contact Address: The NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre, Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, 90 Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SP. United Kingdom. Tel: +44 121 414 7831, Fax: +44 121 2269

Contact Name: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Contact Email: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Copyright: National Horizon Scanning Centre (NHSC)