Oral chemotherapy for colorectal cancer: some economic considerations.

In the formal medical curriculum, little has been provided to prepare the clinician for an understanding of the economics of health care. The questions are often far more complicated than they initially appear to be, and the techniques and terminology used in evaluation of these questions are often foreign to many health-care providers. This brief essay, written by an author who confesses to being an economic layman, will attempt to discuss and clarify some terms and techniques used in the economic analysis of health care. In that context, and recognizing the limitations of the techniques available, an attempt will be made to address the question of the economic impact of oral fluorinated pyrimidines on the management of colorectal cancer.