Value and Cancer: Journal of Cancer Policy Special Issue

A special issue of the Journal of Cancer Policy entitled ‘Value and Cancer’ includes three papers authored by OHE researchers.

Professor Bengt Jönsson, a member of OHE’s Research and Policy Committee, is guest editor of a special issue of the Journal of Cancer Policy entitled ‘Value and Cancer’. The issue covers a range of topics related to the assessment of the value conferred by cancer treatments. It includes three articles authored by OHE researchers.

The first article, authored by Professors Nancy Devlin and Paula Lorgelly, discusses the use of the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) as a measure of value in cancer. The authors describe how some aspects of benefit to patients and society are not captured by QALYs, and explore the issues with applying generic patient-reported outcome measures to cancer patients.

The second article, authored by Koonal Shah, examines whether willingness to pay is higher for cancer prevention and treatment. The extent of support for a ‘cancer premium’ is assessed through a review of empirical public preference studies, including selected studies from the literature on the value of a statistical life and the value of a prevented fatality.

The third article, authored by Professors Adrian Towse and Lou Garrison, focuses on precision cancer medicine. Lou Garrison was recently appointed as an OHE Senior Visiting Fellow.  The authors identify and discuss key conceptual, implementation and policy issues in applying value assessment in precision cancer medicine. They highlight the need for flexible value-based pricing for cancer drugs and diagnostic tests based on incremental value in order to encourage personalised medicine.

The first two articles are available open access. All three can be downloaded here.

For more information on OHE’s research on the economics of cancer, contact Paula Lorgelly.

Related publications:

Cole, A., Lundqvist, A., Lorgelly, P., Norrlid, H., Karlsberg Schaffer, S., Lewis, F., Hernandez-Villafuerte, K., Lindgren, P., Garau, M., Welin, K-O., Bianchi, S., Althin, R., O’Neill, P., Persson, U., and Towse, A., 2016. Improving Efficiency and Resource Allocation in Future Cancer Care. Consulting Report. London: Office of Health Economics.

Garau, M., Shah, K.K., Mason, A., Wang, Q., Towse, A. and Drummond, M., 2011. Using QALYs in cancer: A review of the methodological limitations. Pharmacoeconomics, 29(8), pp.673-685.

Rejon-Parrilla, J.C., Hernandez-Villafuerte, K., Shah, K., Mestre-Ferrandiz, J., Garrison, L. and Towse, A., 2014. The Expanding Value Footprint of Oncology Treatments. Consulting Report. London: Office of Health Economics.

Richards, M., 2011. Achieving World Class Outcomes in Cancer Treatment. Monograph. London: Office of Health Economics.