A structured review of health utility measures and elicitation in advanced/metastatic breast cancer

Utility Values of Health Status in Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

Gastric cancer (GC) imposes a significant burden of disease globally. Multiple treatments are available but are associated with high costs and potentially detrimental effects on quality of life. The utility values of health status are measures of patient preference over quality of life, which are increasingly used for health and economic decision-making. Currently, there is little systematized information on the utility values for different stages of GC. This systematic review synthesizes and meta-analyses the literature on GC utilities.

METHODS

A search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library for studies reporting utility values calculated using direct and indirect methods. Information from the selected studies was extracted and appraised, and meta-analyses of utility values based on GC health states were performed.

RESULTS

Twelve studies involving 4585 patients were included. Random-effects meta-analysis estimates showed a mean utility of 0.77 (95% CI 0.7-0.85) for stage I, 0.75 (95% CI 0.65-0.85) for stage II, 0.70 (95% CI 0.63-0.96) for stage III, and 0.64 (95% CI 0.56-0.32) for stage IV. All estimates showed considerable heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides an updated overview of the literature on utility values in GC and presents a discussion of the relevance of GC stages for its analysis. Decision-makers should consider patients' preferences in the proposal of policies and clinical decisions.

EQ-5D Based Utility Values for Adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease that negatively affects health-related quality of life (QoL). Utility values, which measure QoL by weighting health states with societal preferences, are required for the cost-utility models that drive economic evaluations and policy decisions. Moayeri et al. published a systematic review and meta-analysis of utilities (EQ-5D) in COPD in June 2016. The current study investigated changes in mean utilities in more recent studies thereafter, exploring heterogeneity in utilities across diverse clinical and study characteristics. Systematic searches of databases, such as MEDLINE and Embase were undertaken from 1 July 2015 until 20 May 2024. A random-effects meta-analysis of utilities (EQ-5D) was performed which addressed inter-study heterogeneity and subgroup analyses. The pooled general mean (95% CI) utility value was 0.761 (0.726-0.795) from 43 studies, whereas Moayeri et al. reported 0.673 (0.653-0.693) from 32 studies. This improvement in mean utilities could be due to increased awareness, early detection, and better medical interventions over the past decade, but demonstrates that a general utility value should be approached with caution given significant heterogeneity. Four meta-regressions were performed on each subgroup: region, method of elicitation, reported comorbidities, and disease stage; of which, method of elicitation, disease stage, and region were found to be significant moderators of utilities. It is, therefore, important to use meta-analysed utilities for cost-utility analyses that reflect the context and patient population of the model. Moreover, these results provide additional evidence for the precision and sensitivity of EQ-5D-5L over EQ-5D-3L.

Quality-adjusted life years for HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer using trastuzumab-containing regimens in the context of cost-effectiveness studies: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of economic and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive, early-stage breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab-containing regimens, by focusing on both Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratios (ICERs) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases without language or publication year restrictions. Two independent reviewers screened eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed methodology and reporting quality using the Drummond checklist and Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards 2022 (CHEERS 2022), respectively. Costs were converted to US dollars (US$) for 2023 for cross-study comparison.

RESULTS

Twenty-two articles, primarily from high-income countries (HICs), were included, with ICERs ranging from US$13,176/QALY to US$254,510/QALY, falling within country-specific cost-effectiveness thresholds. A notable association was observed between higher QALYs and lower ICERs, indicating a favorable cost-effectiveness and health outcome relationship. EQ-5D was the most utilized instrument for assessing health state utility values, with diverse targeted populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies reporting higher QALYs tend to have lower ICERs, indicating a positive relationship between cost-effectiveness and health outcomes. However, challenges such as methodological heterogeneity and transparency in utility valuation persist, underscoring the need for standardized guidelines and collaborative efforts among stakeholders.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO ID: CRD42021259826.

Validation of the predictive accuracy of health-state utility values based on the Lloyd model for metastatic or recurrent breast cancer in Japan

INTRODUCTION

Although there is a lack of data on health-state utility values (HSUVs) for calculating quality-adjusted life-years in Japan, cost-utility analysis has been introduced by the Japanese government to inform decision making in the medical field since 2016.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine whether the Lloyd model which was a predictive model of HSUVs for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients in the UK can accurately predict actual HSUVs for Japanese patients with MBC.

DESIGN

The prospective observational study followed by the validation study of the clinical predictive model.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Forty-four Japanese patients with MBC were studied at 336 survey points.

METHODS

This study consisted of two phases. In the first phase, we constructed a database of clinical data prospectively and HSUVs for Japanese patients with MBC to evaluate the predictive accuracy of HSUVs calculated using the Lloyd model. In the second phase, Bland-Altman analysis was used to determine how accurately predicted HSUVs (based on the Lloyd model) correlated with actual HSUVs obtained using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level questionnaire, a preference-based measure of HSUVs in patients with MBC.

RESULTS

In the Bland-Altman analysis, the mean difference between HSUVs estimated by the Lloyd model and actual HSUVs, or systematic error, was -0.106. The precision was 0.165. The 95% limits of agreement ranged from -0.436 to 0.225. The t value was 4.6972, which was greater than the t value with 2 degrees of freedom at the 5% significance level (p=0.425).

CONCLUSIONS

There were acceptable degrees of fixed and proportional errors associated with the prediction of HSUVs based on the Lloyd model for Japanese patients with MBC. We recommend that sensitivity analysis be performed when conducting cost-effectiveness analyses with HSUVs calculated using the Lloyd model.

Changes in Health State Utility Values in Japanese Patients with End-Stage Breast Cancer

We aimed to determine the dynamic trends in health state utility values (HSUVs) in patients with end-stage breast cancer. We selected 181 patients comprising 137 with primary breast cancer (PBC) and 44 with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) (28 survivors and 16 patients with MBC death). HSUVs were 0.90 and 0.89 in patients with PBC and 0.83 and 0.80 in those with MBC (survivors) at 6 and 3 months, respectively, before the end of the observation period; these values were 0.73 and 0.66, respectively, in those with MBC (deceased) during the aforementioned period. The root-mean-squared error (RMSE) for the decrease in HSUVs over 3 months was 0.10, 0.096, and 0.175 for patients with PBC, MBC (survivors), and MBC (deceased), respectively. One-way analysis of variance for differences in absolute error among the groups was significant (p = 0.0102). Multiple comparisons indicated a difference of 0.068 in absolute error between patients with PBC and those with MBC (deceased) (p = 0.0082). Patients with end-stage breast cancer had well-controlled HSUVs 3 months before death, with a sharp decline in HSUVs in the 3 months leading up to death.

Evaluating the conduct and application of health utility studies: a review of critical appraisal tools and reporting checklists

BACKGROUND

Published health utility studies are increasingly cited in cost-utility analyses to inform reimbursement decision-making. However, there is limited guidance for investigators looking to systematically evaluate the methodological quality of health utility studies or their applicability to decision contexts.

OBJECTIVE

To describe how health utility concepts are reflected in tools intended for use with the health economic literature, particularly with respect to the evaluation of methodological quality and context applicability.

METHODS

We reviewed the critical appraisal and reporting tools described in a 2012 report published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), supplemented with a keyword search of MEDLINE and EMBASE, to identify existing tools which include health utility constructs. From these tools, a list of relevant items was compiled and grouped into domain categories based on the methodological or applicability aspect they were directed toward.

RESULTS

Of the 24 tools we identified, 12 contained items relevant to the evaluation of health utilities. Sixty-five items were considered relevant to the evaluation of quality, while 44 were relevant to the evaluation of applicability. Items were arranged into four domains: health state descriptions; selection and description of respondents; elicitation and measurement methods; and other considerations.

CONCLUSION

As key inputs to cost-utility analyses, health utilities have the potential to significantly impact estimates of cost-effectiveness. Existing tools contain only general items related to the conduct or use of health utility studies. There is a need to develop tools that systematically evaluate the methodological quality and applicability of health utility studies.

Quality of life in a real-world cohort of advanced breast cancer patients: a study of the SONABRE Registry

PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate quality of life (QoL) using the European Quality of Life Five-Dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) in a real-world cohort of Dutch advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients. Secondary, we reported differences in QoL between subgroups of patients based on age, comorbidity, tumor-, and treatment characteristics, and assessed the association of duration of metastatic disease and time to death with QoL.

METHODS

ABC patients who attended the outpatient clinic between October 2010 and May 2011 were asked to fill out the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Patient-, disease-, and treatment characteristics were obtained from the medical files. Health-utility scores were calculated. Subgroups were described and compared for utility scores by parametric and non-parametric methods.

RESULTS

A total of 92 patients were included with a median utility score of 0.691 (Interquartile range [IQR] 0.244). Patients ≥ 65 years had significantly worse median utility scores than younger patients; 0.638 versus 0.743, respectively (p = 0.017). Moreover, scores were significantly worse for patients with versus those without comorbidity (medians 0.620 versus 0.725, p = 0.005). Utility scores did not significantly differ between subgroups of tumor type, type of systemic treatment, number of previous palliative treatment(s), or number or location of metastatic site(s). The remaining survival was correlated with utility scores (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.260, p = 0.0252), especially in the subgroup < 65 years (r = 0.340, p = 0.0169), whereas there was no significant correlation with time since metastatic diagnosis (r = - 0.106, p = 0.3136).

CONCLUSION

Within this real-world cross-sectional study, QoL was significantly associated with age, comorbidity, and remaining survival duration. The observation of a lower QoL in ABC patients, possibly indicating the last period of life, may assist clinical decision-making on timing of cessation of systemic antitumor therapy.

Cost-effectiveness of ribociclib as initial treatment for premenopausal women with advanced breast cancer in Singapore

BACKGROUND

CDK4/6 inhibitors have shown promising results for treating advanced breast cancer (ABC) and are routinely used in Singapore. In view of their high costs, it is important to assess their relative value compared to existing standards of care in the local setting.

AIMS

This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of adding ribociclib to goserelin and a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor or tamoxifen as initial therapy for premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) ABC in Singapore.

METHODS

A partitioned survival model with four health states (progression-free on first-line treatment, progression-free on second-line treatment, progressed disease, and death) was developed from a healthcare system perspective over a 10-year time horizon. Key clinical inputs were derived from the MONALEESA-7 trial, and survival curves were extrapolated beyond the trial period. Health state utilities were derived from the literature and direct medical costs were obtained from local public healthcare institutions. A discount rate of 3% was applied to both costs and outcomes. One-way deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore uncertainties.

RESULTS

The base-case analysis resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of SGD197, 667 per quality-adjusted life-year. Sensitivity analyses showed that the ICER was sensitive to the survival parametric distribution, ribociclib price, time horizon, and utility weights used. Even when these were varied, ICERs remained high and not cost-effective in the local context.

CONCLUSION

At its current price, adding ribociclib to endocrine therapy is unlikely to be cost-effective in Singapore for HR+, HER2- ABC. Results from this study are useful to inform future funding decisions for CDK4/6 inhibitors alongside other factors including clinical effectiveness, safety, and budget impact considerations.

Health state utilities for metastatic breast cancer in Taiwan

Background

New developments in medications for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) can be of great benefit to patients, but unfortunately these medicines also increase expenditures. Cost-utility analyses (CUAs) are needed to allocate health resources properly, and health utility values are required to calculate quality-adjusted life years in those CUAs.

Objective

The aims of this study were to measure health utility values for several MBC-related health states and certain breast cancer treatment-related grade 3/4 adverse drug reactions (ADRs). In addition, we examined whether different methods and respondents’ characteristics would influence the utility values elicited.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and time trade-off (TTO) methods were used to measure health utilities. Four MBC and nine ADR health states were selected for evaluation based on literature review and expert opinion. Information about respondents’ demographic and clinical characteristics were collected to examine the relationship between utilities and participant characteristics.

Results

A total of 102 patients participated in this study. The TTO-elicited values were higher than the VAS-derived scores except for two MBC-related health states. Among the MBC health states assessed, the TTO preference score ranged from 0.04 (palliative MBC) to 0.62 (responding MBC). For grade 3/4 ADRs, the mean TTO-derived utility values ranged from 0.35 (nausea/vomiting) to 0.79 (fatigue). The ranking of the preference scores derived from the VAS was similar to that of the TTO-elicited scores.

Conclusion

This study obtained health state utility values for MBC and grade 3/4 ADRs using both the TTO and the VAS, which provides useful data for future CUAs.

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This study obtained health state utility values for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and grade 3/4 adverse drug reactions (ADRs) using both the time trade-off (TTO) and the visual analogue scale (VAS), which provides useful data for future cost-utility analyses.

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Among the MBC health states assessed, the TTO preference score ranged from 0.04 (palliative MBC) to 0.62 (responding MBC).

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For grade 3/4 ADRs, the mean TTO-derived utility values ranged from 0.35 (nausea/vomiting) to 0.79 (fatigue).

Comparison of health state utility estimates from instrument-based and vignette-based methods: a case study in kidney disease

Objective

We take advantage of a rare occurrence when two different studies report on the estimation of quality of life utilities for the same health states to assess convergence of the reported measures. Health state utilities are important inputs into health economic models that estimate the impact of new medical technologies using a common metric of health gain—the quality adjusted life-year.

Results

We find low concordance between the two measures which is concerning in that this could have important ramifications for health care decision making based on estimated cost-effectiveness. We explore possible reasons for the discrepancy between the two measures and draw implications for the design of future studies.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prostate Cancer Utility Values of Patients and Partners Between 2007 and 2016

Background. There is widespread agreement that both the length and quality of life matter when assessing new technologies and/or models of care in the treatment for cancer patients. Quality of life for partners/carers also matters, particularly for prostate cancer. Purpose. This systematic review aims to provide up-to-date utility values along the prostate cancer care continuum (i.e., from prescreening through to palliative care) for use where future trial-based or modelled economic evaluations cannot collect primary data from men and/or partners. Data Sources. A protocol was developed and registered on the international register of systematic reviews—PROSPERO. Databases searched included EBSCO Information Services (CINAHL, EconLit, Global Health, HEED, MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Web of Science, and Embase. Study Selection. Study selection terms included health-related quality of life, prostate cancer, and partners or carers. Data Extraction. The authors identified articles published between 2007 and 2016 that provided health state utility values, with statistical uncertainty, for men with or at risk of prostate cancer and/or their partner/carers. Data Synthesis and Results. Study quality and generalizability of utilities was evaluated and meta-analysis conducted against prespecified criteria. From 906 original articles, 29 recent primary studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. We tabulate all the utility values with uncertainty, along with considerable methodological detail and patient population characteristics. Limitations. Utility values pertaining to carers/partners were limited to one study. Conclusions. Studies varied in design, measurement instruments utilized, quality, and generalizability. There is sufficient qualitative and quantitative detail for the reported utility values to be readily incorporated into economic evaluations. More research is needed with carers/partners and with newly developing prostate cancer-specific quality of life tools.

Evidence-based sizing of non-inferiority trials using decision models

Background

There are significant challenges to the successful conduct of non-inferiority trials because they require large numbers to demonstrate that an alternative intervention is “not too much worse” than the standard. In this paper, we present a novel strategy for designing non-inferiority trials using an approach for determining the appropriate non-inferiority margin (δ), which explicitly balances the benefits of interventions in the two arms of the study (e.g. lower recurrence rate or better survival) with the burden of interventions (e.g. toxicity, pain), and early and late-term morbidity.

Methods

We use a decision analytic approach to simulate a trial using a fixed value for the trial outcome of interest (e.g. cancer incidence or recurrence) under the standard intervention (p_S) and systematically varying the incidence of the outcome in the alternative intervention (p_A). The non-inferiority margin, p_A – p_S = δ, is reached when the lower event rate of the standard therapy counterbalances the higher event rate but improved morbidity burden of the alternative. We consider the appropriate non-inferiority margin as the tipping point at which the quality-adjusted life-years saved in the two arms are equal.

Results

Using the European Polyp Surveillance non-inferiority trial as an example, our decision analytic approach suggests an appropriate non-inferiority margin, defined here as the difference between the two study arms in the 10-year risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, of 0.42% rather than the 0.50% used to design the trial. The size of the non-inferiority margin was smaller for higher assumed burden of colonoscopies.

Conclusions

The example demonstrates that applying our proposed method appears feasible in real-world settings and offers the benefits of more explicit and rigorous quantification of the various considerations relevant for determining a non-inferiority margin and associated trial sample size.

A systematic literature review of health state utility values in head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND

Health state utility values (HSUVs) are essential parameters in model-based economic evaluations. This study systematically identifies HSUVs in head and neck cancer and provides guidance for selecting them from a growing body of health-related quality of life studies.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed the published literature by searching PubMed, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library using a pre-defined combination of keywords. The Tufts Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry and the School of Health and Related Research Health Utilities Database (ScHARRHUD) specifically containing health utilities were also queried, in addition to the Health Economics Research Centre database of mapping studies. Studies were considered for inclusion if reporting original HSUVs assessed using established techniques. The characteristics of each study including country, design, sample size, cancer subsite addressed and demographics of responders were summarized narratively using a data extraction form. Quality scoring and critical appraisal of the included studies were performed based on published recommendations.

RESULTS

Of a total 1048 records identified by the search, 28 studies qualified for data extraction and 346 unique HSUVs were retrieved from them. HSUVs were estimated using direct methods (e.g. standard gamble; n = 10 studies), multi-attribute utility instruments (MAUIs; n = 13) and mapping techniques (n = 3); two studies adopted both direct and indirect approaches. Within the MAUIs, the EuroQol 5-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D) was the most frequently used (n = 11), followed by the Health Utility Index Mark 3 (HUI3; n = 2), the 15D (n = 2) and the Short Form-Six Dimension (SF-6D; n = 1). Different methods and types of responders (i.e. patients, healthy subjects, clinical experts) influenced the magnitude of HSUVs for comparable health states. Only one mapping study developed an original algorithm using head and neck cancer data. The identified studies were considered of intermediate quality.

DISCUSSION

This review provides a dataset of HSUVs systematically retrieved from published studies in head and neck cancer. There is currently a lack of research for some disease phases including recurrent and metastatic cancer, and treatment-related complications. In selecting HSUVs for cost-effectiveness modeling purposes, preference should be given to EQ-5D utility values; however, mapping to EQ-5D is a potentially valuable technique that should be further developed in this cancer population.

Estimation of health state utilities in breast cancer

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to determine the utility of breast cancer health states using the standard gamble (SG) and visual analog scale (VAS) methods in the Korean general population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eight hypothetical breast cancer health states were developed based on patient education material and previous publications. Data from 509 individuals from the Korean general population were used to evaluate breast cancer health states using the VAS and the SG methods, which were obtained via computer-assisted personal interviews. Mean utility values were calculated for each human papillomavirus (HPV)-related health state.

RESULTS

The rank of health states was identical between two valuation methods. SG values were higher than VAS values in all health states. The utility values derived from SG were 0.801 (noninvasive breast cancer with mastectomy and followed by reconstruction), 0.790 (noninvasive breast cancer with mastectomy only), 0.779 (noninvasive breast cancer with breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy), 0.731 (invasive breast cancer with surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy), 0.610 (locally advanced breast cancer with radical mastectomy with radiation therapy), 0.587 (inoperable locally advanced breast cancer), 0.496 (loco-regional recurrent breast cancer), and 0.352 (metastatic breast cancer).

CONCLUSION

Our findings might be useful for economic evaluation of breast cancer screening and interventions in general populations.

Integration of advances in social media and mHealth technology are pivotal to successful cancer prevention and control

The successful prevention and treatment of cancer is dependent upon efficient and reliable communication between healthcare workers and patients. Advances in social media and mHealth platforms have provided new ways in which to enhance the sharing of cancer related information. Other benefits of embracing this technology include utilising its analytic capabilities which can process the vast quantity of information generated from genome exploration in a highly efficient manner. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the rapidly evolving areas through which digital engagement is proving useful in the prevention and control of cancer.