Review of cost-effectiveness analyses in hormonal therapies in advanced breast cancer.

Many new cancer treatments that slow progression and extend survival are emerging. These advances bring new hope to patients and physicians, but often increase health expenditures in an already cost-conscious environment. To help guide resource allocation decisions, cost-effectiveness models are constructed to compare the costs and outcomes of new treatments with current options, and to encourage the uptake of new technologies. This study focuses on the cost-effectiveness studies published since 1997 for hormonal treatment options in advanced breast cancer. This paper: i) examines the quality of studies in terms of reporting methods and transparency of the models; ii) compares the calculated cost-effectiveness ratios; and iii) makes recommendations for future cost-effectiveness models in advanced breast cancer.