The cost of treatment and quality of life in patients with colorectal liver metastases

Abstract

Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer, and in Australia, it is ranked the fourth most common cancer. This incidence and high mortality rates place a substantial economic burden on patients, families and the healthcare system. In the era of personalised medicine, treating metastatic disease can be particularly costly. There is limited data on the cost of treating patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) to the patient and the healthcare system in Australia. Furthermore, there is limited data on the provision of information and the long-term health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in patients who have undergone liver resection for CRLM.

This thesis demonstrated manageable healthcare costs for treating patients who have undergone liver resection for CRLM in the Australian healthcare system. In addition, the out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for treating CRLM are also manageable, with most patients demonstrating a lack of stress or worry when paying for treatment. The provision of information, overall, was excellent, but some areas of improvement were identified. Patients with long-term survival have excellent HRQoL; an optimal tool has been identified to assess long-term HRQoL. Patients had minimal ongoing symptoms that were not attributable to their disease but rather to their age and underlying comorbidities.