BioCentury
ARTICLE | Clinical News

Researchers question benefits of K-Ras screening

November 29, 2012 1:57 AM UTC

Researchers at the HealthPartners Research Foundation said screening for K-Ras (KRAS) mutations prior to starting treatment with Erbitux cetuximab saves about $7,500 over 10 years in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients compared with not screening. However, the researchers found the incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) per life year saved (LYS) gained with screening is still above "the generally accepted threshold" of an acceptable cost-effectiveness ratio. In the cost-effectiveness analysis, which was based on 10,000 simulations, the researchers also estimated that the overall survival (OS) difference between the screening and no screening groups was less than one day. Data were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

In an editorial accompanying the paper, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said that the clinical and economic rationale for K-Ras mutation screening is "highly apparent," noting that molecular testing is as much about generating cost savings by identifying non-responders as it is about improving survival by identifying responders. ...