Purpose
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of combination chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery (CRS) versus definitive chemotherapy and radiation (CR) in clinical Stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients at academic and non-academic centers.
Methods
Patients with clinical stage IIIA NSCLC receiving CR or CRS from 1998–2010 were identified in the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Propensity score matching on patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics was performed. Medicare allowable charges were used for treatment costs. The incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) was based on probabilistic 5-year survival and calculated as cost per life year gained.
Results
5,265 CR and CRS matched patient pairs were identified. Surgery imparted an increased effectiveness of 0.83 life years, with an ICER of $17,618. Among non-academic centers, 1,634 matched CR and CRS patients demonstrated a benefit with surgery of 0.86 life years gained, for an ICER of $17,124. At academic centers, 3,201 matched CR and CRS patients had increased survival of 0.81 life years with surgery, for an ICER of $18,144. Finally, 3,713 CRS patients were matched between academic and non-academic centers. Academic center surgical patients had an increased effectiveness of 1.5 months gained and dominated the model with lower surgical cost estimates associated with lower 30-day mortality rates.
Conclusions
In Stage IIIA NSCLC, the selective addition of surgery to chemoradiation is cost-effective compared to definitive chemoradiation therapy at both non-academic and academic centers. These conclusions are valid over a range of clinically meaningful variations in cost and treatment outcomes.