ABSTRACT
There are several reasons for designing the cost-effectiveness component and collecting health economic resource data in a clinical trial. First, it is often cheaper to collect such data alongside a clinical trial than to carry out retrospective studies of costs and effects (Drummond, 1990). However, in some cancer trials, in which the follow-up period can be many years, it may be expensive to follow patients for extensive periods of time to collect relevant data. Delaying publication of important clinical findings on the efficacy of a new treatment in order to collect ‘real-world evidence’ on health resource use may raise some eyebrows. The economic value of a new treatment, however important, should not compromise medical knowledge and treatment benefits to waiting patients.
