Incremental costs of chemotherapy—Pharmacoeconomic results from the prospective adjuvant AGO-WSG intergroup EC->DOC trial comparing an anthracycline-docetaxel sequence to CMF in node-positive breast cancer

583 Background: Taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy is the current standard for patients with node-positive breast cancer. Compared to the older standard CMF or anthracycline containing regimens, the increase in efficacy is significant but modest. Next to clinically relevant side effects, the implementation of taxanes is associated with a relevant burden on health care resources. In the present study, we compared a modern taxane-based sequential regimen (4 x epirubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by 4 x docetaxel q21, EC->DOC) to the low-priced and less toxic CMF in patients with primary node-positive breast cancer with special consideration of costs and resource consumption. Methods: Data on chemotherapy application and resource consumption were obtained between 2/2000–5/2002 alongside the prospective, randomized, multicenter phase III WSG-AGO Intergroup EC->DOC trial (1999–2005) comparing EC->DOC to CMF or FEC. Total costs were presented from hospital provider perspective. Results: A cohort of 110 patients...