Yaqeen W. Shanti

Title of the research project: Towards Cost-Effective Patient Selection for Proton Therapy in Thoracic Cancers: a Framework for Continuously Updating Prediction Models. 

Our research project focuses on evaluating the cost-effectiveness of proton therapy (PT) compared to conventional Photon therapy (XT) in treating thoracic malignancies, specifically in the Belgian healthcare context. PT has is considered more expensive than XT due to higher investment and operational costs and it needs to prove its value through better patient outcomes, such as reduced toxicity and improved survival rates. This research project employs a time-driven activity-based costing (TD-ABC) methodology to estimate the costs associated with both PT, considering variables like the treatment complexity of PT therapy, equipment utilized, and personnel involved in the health care provision . Updated cost models for PT will be developed and applied to locally advanced esophageal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Belgium, with continuous monitoring and updates to ensure accurate cost-effectiveness assessments.
The research also aims to create a Markov model to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis, expressing the outcomes in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). This model will consider both the upfront costs and the healthcare outcomes associated with PT and XT, using real-world data to adjust predictions for toxicities and survival outcomes. The study integrates these cost-effectiveness evaluations into the existing NTCP (Normal Tissue Complication Probability) model framework to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of PT versus XT. Various scenarios will be simulated to assess the cost-effectiveness of PT under different conditions, with the ultimate goal of providing a comprehensive and objective report on the feasibility and financial impact of implementing PT in the Belgian healthcare system.
 

• Lab address : UZ Gent, Department of Radiation Oncology, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, entrance 98, 9000 Gent
• Yaqeen W. Shanti is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks