LAUSR

AIM The aim was to evaluate cost-effectiveness of yttrium-90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) in comparison to sorafenib treatment. PATIENTS & METHODS A single-center, retrospective, observational study was performed, 166 patients with intermediate-/advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma were treated with sorafenib and 19 with TARE. The patients out of the sorafenib group matching the inclusion criteria for TARE, were reassigned to a subgroup SOR3. RESULTS Mean costs for SOR3 patients amounted to €27,992 per patient, instead for TARE treatment, mean expense per patient was €17,761 (p = 0.028). Overall survival was similar between the two groups, while midterm survival rates (p = 0.012) were significantly higher with TARE treatment. CONCLUSION TARE causes significantly lower treatment costs than sorafenib with better outcome in midterm survival.