BACKGROUND: Despite the efficacy of innovative treatments for metastatic melanoma, their high costs has led to disparities in cancer care among different European countries. We analysed the availability of these innovative therapies in Europe and estimated the number of patients without access to first-line recommended treatment per current guidelines of professional entities such as the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), the European Association of Dermato-Oncology (EADO), and European Dermatology Forum (EDF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Web-based online survey was conducted in 30 European countries with questions about the treatment schedules from 1st May 2015 to 1st May 2016: number of metastatic melanoma patients, registration and reimbursement of innovative medicines (updated data, as of 1st October 2016), percentage of patients treated and availability of clinical studies and compassionate-use programmes. RESULTS: The recommended BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) + MEK inhibitor (MEKi) combination was both registered and fully reimbursed in 9/30 (30%) countries, and in 13/30 (43%) (all from Eastern Europe) not reimbursed. First-line immunotherapy with anti-PD1 antibodies was registered and fully reimbursed in 14/30 (47%) countries, while in 13/30 (43%) (all from Eastern Europe) not reimbursed. It was estimated that in Europe 19,600 patients with metastatic melanoma are treated, and 5238 (27%) do not have access to recommended first-line therapy. Significant correlation was found between human development index (HDI, UNDP report 2015), (r = 0.662; p < 0.001), health expenditure per capita (r = 0.695; p < 0.001) and the Mackenbach score of health policy performance (r = 0.765; p < 0.001) with the percentage of patients treated with innovative medicines and a number of reimbursed medicines. CONCLUSIONS: Great discrepancy exists in metastatic melanoma treatment across Europe. It is crucial to increase the awareness of national and European policymakers, oncological societies, melanoma patients' associations and pharma industry.
- MeSH
- akrylonitril analogy a deriváty ekonomika zásobování a distribuce MeSH
- aniliny ekonomika zásobování a distribuce MeSH
- antigeny CD279 antagonisté a inhibitory MeSH
- dávkové mechanismy statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- disparity zdravotní péče ekonomika statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- dostupnost zdravotnických služeb ekonomika statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- experimentální terapie ekonomika statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- humanizované monoklonální protilátky ekonomika terapeutické užití MeSH
- imunoterapie ekonomika statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- melanom ekonomika epidemiologie terapie MeSH
- nádory kůže ekonomika epidemiologie terapie MeSH
- protoonkogenní proteiny B-raf antagonisté a inhibitory MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa epidemiologie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
- MeSH
- autologní krevní transfuze metody využití MeSH
- cytaferéza metody využití MeSH
- erytrocyty MeSH
- financování organizované MeSH
- klinické zkoušky jako téma MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- plazmaferéza MeSH
- separace krevních složek metody MeSH
- statistika jako téma MeSH
- výsledek terapie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakty MeSH
