Health-related quality of life in patients with melanoma expressed as utilities and disability weights

Abstract

The EQ-5D-5L questionnaire seems adequate to provide utilities and DWs in patients with melanoma. Lower HRQoL in female patients with melanoma is probably linked to lower HRQoL in the general population.

Cost-effectiveness analysis in melanoma detection: A transition model applied to dermoscopy

“…the health care system costs and the patients' personal copayments combined), according to Belgian guidelines for CEA [19]. Treatment costs and follow-up costs were assessed through the 2012e2013 patients who participated in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) study described previously [20]. Briefly, the patients were categorised in eight groups according to the 2009 AJCC classification (0eIA, IBeII, III and IV), each stage being sub-divided into treatment and remission phases.…”

“…To calculate QALYs, each year of life from diagnosis to death had to be weighted by a number between one (perfect HRQoL) and zero (death), so-called 'utility'. We used recently published utilities based on EQ-5D-5L (EuroQol e 5 Dimensions e 5 Levels) instrument [20]. As stage 0eIeII patients were assumed to exhibit the same HRQoL as the general population from the third year after diagnosis onwards, we applied single year of age EQ-5D-3L Belgian population norms for these patients [21] to assess their QALYs from the third year after diagnosis to death.…”

Accounting for Cured Patients in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

“…To calculate QALYs for each arm, we used utility weights from Tromme et al [13] for patients with stage IV melanoma. Within a disease state, utility weights were taken to be equal in the two arms.…”

“…Within a disease state, utility weights were taken to be equal in the two arms. Tromme et al [13] provided utility weights from the start of treatment (utility ¼ 0.583) and from the start of remission (utility ¼ 0.796). For the standard Weibull analysis that did not model a cure fraction, we assumed that the response rate was equal to the cure proportion from the cure model.…”

Melanoma burden by melanoma stage: Assessment through a disease transition model

“…The YLDs were obtained by multiplying the number of person-years lived in various melanoma "states" by the disability weight (DW) associated with each state, a number between 0 (perfect health or no melanomarelated disability) and 1 (death). We used the recently published DWs for melanoma [22], by AJCC stage, each divided into treatment and remission phases. Each DW was applicable for a given period of treatment or remission.…”