Economic evaluations of transarterial radioembolization with TheraSphere versus transarterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Principal investigators: Carla Rognoni

Team UB/Cergas: Carla Rognoni – Rosanna Tarricone

Client: CONFINDUSTRIA DISPOSITIVI MEDICI SERVIZI SRL

Duration: 12 months

Abstract:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the leading primary liver cancer, causes 740,000 deaths annually and is the second most common cause of global cancer mortality. For patients ineligible for curative treatments, locoregional therapies such as ablation, trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE), and trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) are recommended. TACE is the standard care for intermediate-stage HCC, offering a survival benefit. However, TARE has shown advantages, including longer time to progression, better survival rates, improved quality of life, potential as a neoadjuvant therapy, and efficacy in cases with portal vein invasion. While cost studies on these therapies exist, they often fail to capture the full treatment pathway or lack relevance to the Italian healthcare context. The aim of the project is to support the stakeholders in the overall evaluation of the treatment choices for patients with intermediate stage HCC.  

Methods:

A micro-costing analysis will be conducted to compare TARE with TACE considering the hospital perspective in Italy. The micro-costing analysis will be performed considering the entire care pathway (first line treatments - TARE and TACE, management of complications, subsequent procedural treatments). For the identification of healthcare resource consumption and for the collection of hospital cost data it is foreseen the development of an ad-hoc questionnaire to be administered to clinicians/administrative offices in few Italian Hospitals.