Background: Adoptive cell therapy with tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes has been recognised as a safe and effective treatment for patients with advanced melanoma. Whether such a novel intervention is cost-effective remains unclear. The aim of this research is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this intervention for advanced melanoma by systematically reviewing the existing literature.
Methods: Electronic databases (including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, CINAHL, Academic Search Ultimate, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination’s National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, and citations) were searched for published cost-effectiveness studies from 2000.
Results: A total of two studies met the inclusion criteria of a full economic evaluation. According to both studies, this novel intervention is deemed as cost-effective for advanced melanoma compared to standard treatment ipilimumab in a Dutch and Danish setting. The finding supports reimbursement of this intervention and lead to its inclusion as treatment guidelines for patients with advanced melanoma.
Conclusions: However, given the little research relating to its cost-effectiveness, further clinical trial investigations could be the next step of research in the UK and other European countries would be invaluable for these healthcare systems and their patients.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-026-15888-5.
Keywords: Advanced melanoma; Economic evaluation; Standard treatment; Systematic review; Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes.