U.S. Oncology Group Rates Blood Cancer Regimens, Including Cost

By Deena Beasley

The most influential source for U.S. oncology treatment guidelines on Friday unveiled ratings aimed at helping doctors and patients assess the costs versus benefits of current therapies for two types of blood cancer.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a nonprofit alliance of 26 leading cancer centers, said its new "Evidence Blocks" for multiple myeloma and chronic myelogenous leukemia are the first in a series that by the end of next year will encompass all oncology therapies, other than surgery or radiation. (https://bit.ly/1X9NjPS)

The blocks give each therapy a score of between one and five in five categories: efficacy, safety, quality and consistency of evidence and affordability. They will supplement NCCN's widely followed guidelines for oncology care.

In examples released on Friday, NCCN rated primary treatments for CML: Bristol-Myers Squibb's Sprycel (dasatinib), and Novartis AG's Gleevec (imatinib) and Tasigna (nilotinib). Ratings for all three were nearly identical: highly effective and very expensive.

For newly diagnosed myeloma patients eligible for a stem cell transplant, NCCN lists six "preferred" regimens, four of which contain Takeda Pharmaceutical Co's Velcade (bortezomib) and various chemotherapies, one that includes Celgene Corp's Revlimid (lenalidomide), and another that combines Velcade and Revlimid. The Velcade/Revlimid/dexamethasone regimen is rated as the most effective and the most expensive.

NCCN lists Amgen Inc's Kyprolis (carfilzomib), in combination with Revlimid and dexamethasone, as another upfront therapy for myeloma. The Kyprolis regimen was rated highly effective, mildly toxic, average in terms of evidence, mainly consistent in terms of trial data, and very expensive.

Multiple myeloma is diagnosed in about 27,000 Americans each year, and CML is occurs in about 7,000, according to the American Cancer Society.

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