Advanced breast cancer has a poor prognosis (median duration of survival about 2 years); thus, treatment options are largely palliative. Recent studies with the taxoids docetaxel and paclitaxel suggest that these agents are effective second-line therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer....

Objective: To assess the cost effectiveness of palivizumab (a preventative treatment against severe respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] infection) in children at high risk of hospitalisation, i.e. preterm infants =35 weeks gestation, children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and children with...

Background: The economic impact of therapeutic non-adherence in chronic diseases has rarely been examined using qualitative standards for economic evaluation. This study illustrates the impact of non-adherence on the cost utility of renal transplantation versus haemodialysis from the societal...

Objective: Current guidelines recommend treating patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus with ACE inhibitors after the onset of microalbuminuria. Recent clinical trials have shown ACE inhibitors can affect the development of nephropathy when initiated prior to the onset of microalbuminuria. Our...

Background: The German osteology umbrella organization, Dachverband Osteologie (DVO), has published a new guideline for the secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures. According to the guideline, women are screened using dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Those with an absolute 10-year...

Background: Recent meta-analyses in the published medical literature have found improved glycaemic control with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) compared with multiple daily injections (MDI) of insulin for patients with diabetes mellitus. In Australia, CSII is predominantly used...

Background: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) causes some of the most frequently seen symptoms in both primary and secondary care. An estimated 4-5 patients (age range 18-60 years) per 10_000 (0.045% of the general population) are receiving maintenance proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for...

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the primary cause of vision loss in the elderly and results in significant economic and humanistic burden. The selective vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, pegaptanib (Macugen(R)) is indicated for patients with neovascular AMD....

Background: There is limited evidence about the extent to which sensitivity analysis has been used in the cost-effectiveness literature. Sensitivity analyses for health-related QOL (HR-QOL), cost and discount rate economic parameters are of particular interest because they measure the effects of...

Objective: The objective of this observational prospective study was to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of patch testing in patients suspected of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and to determine the order in which different severity groups rank in terms of cost effectiveness. Design and...