Economic evaluation of docetaxel for breast cancer.

Breast cancer is among the leading causes of cancer morbidity worldwide and accounts for a significant proportion of overall healthcare costs. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility evaluations of therapy provide insight into the societal value of different treatments, helping decision-makers to prioritize resource allocation and maximize benefit in cancer control within resource constraints. Docetaxel, a plant alkaloid of the taxane group, has been recognized as a highly active chemotherapy agent in breast, lung and prostate cancers, among others. In the last decade, docetaxel has become incorporated into the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and metastatic treatment of breast cancer. This article reviews the economic data supporting the use of docetaxel in the treatment of breast cancer.