Ανάλυση της κλινικής αποτελεσματικότητας και της οικονομικής αποδοτικότητας των θεραπειών για το προχωρημένο και εξελισσόμενο ηπατοκυτταρικό καρκίνωμα

Παντογυιού, Βασιλική

An analysis of clinical effectiveness and cost - effectiveness of therapies for advanced and progressive hepatocellular carcinoma

Master Thesis

Author

Παντογυιού, Βασιλική

Date

2025

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer, associated with high mortality and poor prognosis. It has a higher prevalence in East Asia due to the increased incidence of Hepatitis B and C. Patients diagnosed with HCC often have pre-existing chronic liver disease. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men and the sixth in women. Diagnosis involves clinical examinations, CT and MRI scans, blood tests, and liver biopsy. Early-stage HCC is often asymptomatic. Symptoms such as weight loss, jaundice, pruritus, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and palpable masses may appear. Staging is based on tumor size, location, and the presence of metastases, utilizing systems like TNM and BCLC, which consider liver function, the patient’s general condition, and tumor stage. Treatment depends on the disease stage and patient condition, ranging from surgical resection to thermal ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. This is a systematic review of the existing literature on available treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Through a search of the PubMed database, the research focused on evaluating the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of treatment options. The main treatment strategies analyzed include tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and the immunotherapies Sorafenib, Lenvatinib, Atezolizumab and Nivolumab. The methodology included the application of specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, ensuring the validity of the selected studies. The main research questions concerned the efficacy of the various treatments, adverse effects and economic viability of the drugs. According to the results, some combinations of treatments, such as Atezolizumab & Bevacizumab, showed improved overall survival compared to Sorafenib, while other treatments, despite their clinical efficacy, were not considered cost-effective due to high costs. The study concludes that the choice of treatment for HCC should be based on a balance between efficacy, safety profile and cost-effectiveness.

Postgraduate Studies Programme

Οικονομικά και Διοίκηση της Υγείας

Department

Σχολή Οικονομικών, Επιχειρηματικών και Διεθνών Σπουδών. Τμήμα Οικονομικής Επιστήμης

Number of pages

Language

Greek

URI

https://dione.lib.unipi.gr/xmlui/handle/unipi/17782

Collections

Τμήμα Οικονομικής Επιστήμης

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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as
Αναφορά Δημιουργού 3.0 Ελλάδα