MONDAY, April 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- The quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV4) vaccine appears to be cost-effective for the prevention of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) among 12-year-old males, according to a study published online April 13 in Cancer.
Donna M. Graham, M.B., B.Ch., from the Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto, and colleagues examined the cost-effectiveness of male HPV vaccination in Canada with respect to OPC. Health care costs and clinical effectiveness were obtained from an extensive literature review. The potential costs and effectiveness of HPV4 vaccination versus no vaccination were compared in a theoretical cohort based on a Canadian population of 192,940 boys aged 12 years in 2012.
The researchers found that HPV4 produced 0.05 more quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and saved $145 (Canadian) per individual compared with no vaccine, assuming 99 percent vaccine efficacy and 70 percent uptake. HPV produced 0.023 more QALYs and saved $42 per individual assuming 50 percent vaccine efficacy and 50 percent uptake. For the theoretical cohort of 192,940 males, the results indicated that HPV4 may potentially save between $8 and $28 million over the lifetime of the cohort.
"On the basis of this model, HPV vaccination for boys aged 12 years may be a cost-effective strategy for the prevention of OPC in Canada," the authors write.
One author disclosed financial ties to Pfizer and Novartis.
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