Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32716969›Full record

Observational studyPloS one2020

Cost-effectiveness of real-world administration of chemotherapy and add-on Viscum album L. therapy compared to chemotherapy in the treatment of stage IV NSCLC patients.

Anja Thronicke, Thomas Reinhold, Philipp von Trott, Christian Grah, Burkhard Matthes, Harald Matthes, Friedemann Schad

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 47% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Mistletoe in Cancer Cell Biology: Recent Advances.Current issues in molecular biology · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Anja ThronickeResearch Institute Havelhöhe at the Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6421-8290
Thomas ReinholdInstitute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5169-7029
Philipp von TrottInterdisciplinary Oncology and Palliative Care, Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.
Christian GrahLung Cancer Centre, Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.
Burkhard MatthesLung Cancer Centre, Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6767-841X
Harald MatthesResearch Institute Havelhöhe at the Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-4053-4379
Friedemann SchadResearch Institute Havelhöhe at the Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6928-6209
Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe · DEHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFor stage IV lung cancer patients receiving add-on Viscum album L. (VA) treatment an improved overall survival was detected. Information regarding cost-effectiveness (CE) for comparisons between chemotherapy (CTx) and CTx plus additive VA in stage IV lung cancer treatment is limited. The present study assessed the costs and cost-effectiveness of CTx plus VA (V) compared to CTx alone (C) for stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treatment in a hospital in Germany.

methodsIn the observational real-world data study, data from the Network Oncology clinical registry were utilized. Enrolled stage IV lung cancer patients received the respective therapy (C or V) in a certified German Cancer Center. Cost and cost-effectiveness analyses from the hospital's perspective were investigated on the basis of overall survival (OS) and routine financial controlling data. In addition, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated. The primary result of the analysis was tested for robustness in a bootstrap-based sensitivity analysis.

results118 patients (C: n = 86, V: n = 32) were included in the analysis, mean age 63.8 years, the proportion of male patients was 55.1%. Adjusted hospital's total mean costs for patients from the C and V group were €16,289, 95%CI: 13,834€-18,744€ (over an adjusted mean OS time of 13.4 months) and €17,992, 95%CI: 13,658-22,326 (over an adjusted mean OS time of 19.1 months), respectively. The costs per additional OS year gained (ICER) with the V-therapy compared to C therapy were €3,586.

conclusionThe findings of the present study suggest that the combined use of chemotherapy and VA was clinically effective and comparably cost-effective to chemotherapy alone in our analysed patient sample from the hospital's perspective. Further randomized and prospective cost-effectiveness studies are necessary to complement our findings.

Indexed as

Cost-Benefit AnalysisAntineoplastic AgentsAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsCarcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungEconomics, HospitalFemaleHumansLength of StayLung NeoplasmsMaleMiddle AgedMultivariate AnalysisNeoplasm StagingPlant ExtractsSurvival AnalysisViscum albumAntineoplastic AgentsPlant Extracts

Identifiers

PMID32716969
PMCPMC7384610
OpenAlexW3046027718

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.