Real world cost of human epidermal receptor 2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients: a longitudinal incidence-based observational costing study in the Netherlands and Belgium

The addition of neoadjuvant pertuzumab for the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer: a cost estimate with real-world data

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) is largely prevalent worldwide. HER2-positive BC account for roughly 20-25% of all BC cases and has an overall survival lower than other BC. Innovation on BC therapeutics is a constant, but novel therapies have higher costs. Therefore, cost-effectiveness research is essential to provide healthcare decision-makers with solid foundations for a resource allocation. This study aims to estimate the average direct medical costs/patient and cost-effectiveness of adding pertuzumab in neoadjuvant treatment (NeoT) for HER2-positive breast cancer (BC).

METHODS

Two retrospective real-world consecutive cohorts of ≥18yo female patients diagnosed with HER2-positive BC treated with NeoT at the Breast Clinic of IPO-Porto were studied. The AC-DH regimen (2012-2015) comprised 8 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy (4 cycles of doxorubicin + cyclosphosphamide followed by 4 cycles ofdocetaxel + trastuzumab), while the AC-DHP regimen (2015-2017) included also pertuzumab as NeoT. NeoT was followed by surgery and adjuvant trastuzumab. Micro-costing technique and a bottom-up approach was used comprising all medical direct costs from the hospital perspective. Unit costs were obtained from government official prices or from IPO-Porto costing system. Costs were adjusted to 2017 and are expressed in euros. Multivariable logistic regression models were used for effectiveness assessment, while generalized linear models with gamma distribution were used for costs. ICER was calculated using the pathological complete response (pCR) as the preferential measure of effectiveness. Sensitivity analysis was also performed.

RESULTS

AC-DHP (n = 40) and AC-DH (n = 54) cohorts had heterogenous patient profiles (median age 43y/53y; 67.5%/59.3% positive HR; 60.0%/27.8% operable; 25.0%/24.1% inflammatory, respectively). The AC-DHP average total cost/patient was 56,375€, with pertuzumab accounting for 13,978€ (24.79%) and increasing in 15,982€ the average cost/patient (p < 0.001). Clinical staging and hormone receptors (HR) were significantly associated with pCR. ICER was 1.370€ per percentage point of pCR.

CONCLUSIONS

ICER was more favourable in stage III HR negative BC patients compared to other patient profiles. Innovative treatments access is critical to deliver high-quality healthcare, but sustainability must be considered. These results suggest the importance of establishing a cost-effectiveness profile of Pertuzumab in NeoT for HER2-positive BC.

Direct Medical Costs of Advanced Breast Cancer Treatment: A Real-World Study in the Southeast of The Netherlands

OBJECTIVES

Policy makers increasingly seek to complement data from clinical trials with information from routine care. This study aims to provide a detailed account of the hospital resource use and associated costs of patients with advanced breast cancer in The Netherlands.

METHODS

Data from 597 patients with advanced breast cancer, diagnosed between 2010 and 2014, were retrieved from the Southeast Netherlands Advanced Breast Cancer Registry. Database lock for this study was in October 2017. We report the observed hospital costs for different resource categories and the lifetime costs per patient, adjusted for censoring using Lin's method. The relationship between patients' characteristics and costs was studied using multivariable regression.

RESULTS

The average (SE) lifetime hospital costs of patients with advanced breast cancer were €52 709 (405). Costs differed considerably between patient subgroups, ranging from €29 803 for patients with a triple-negative subtype to €92 272 for patients with hormone receptor positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive cancer. Apart from the cancer subtype, several other factors, including age and survival time, were independently associated with patient lifetime costs. Overall, a large share of costs was attributed to systemic therapies (56%), predominantly to a few expensive agents, such as trastuzumab (15%), everolimus (10%), and bevacizumab (9%), as well as to inpatient hospital days (20%).

CONCLUSIONS

This real-world study shows the high degree of variability in hospital resource use and associated costs in advanced breast cancer care. The presented resource use and costs data provide researchers and policy makers with key figures for economic evaluations and budget impact analyses.

HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Healthcare Costs in the Targeted-Therapy Age

INTRODUCTION

Claims data (IBM MarketScan Commercial and MarketScan Medicare Supplemental databases) from June 30, 2011 to September 30, 2017 were used to evaluate the cost impact of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in this retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

The primary analysis compared short-term costs for patients diagnosed with HER2+ MBC at least 180 days after the end of first HER2-targeted treatment (MBC+ cohort) versus a propensity score matched cohort of patients with breast cancer who did not develop MBC (MBC- cohort). A pseudo-post period for patients in the HER2+ MBC- cohort was defined by indexing to the HER2+ treatment completion-MBC diagnosis time interval of the matched pair in the HER2+ MBC+ cohort; we then compared average monthly cost differences between these groups for the year preceding and following MBC diagnosis. In secondary analyses, we estimated medium-term aggregate and categorical healthcare costs for patients with HER2+ MBC up to 3 years post-diagnosis.

RESULTS

In the short-term primary analysis, costs for the HER2+ MBC+ and HER2+ MBC- cohorts were largely comparable in the year preceding MBC diagnosis. Monthly direct costs were significantly higher for the HER2+ MBC+ cohort in the months immediately preceding MBC diagnosis, with differences in the range of $500-5000. Following diagnosis, total monthly costs were $13,000-34,000 higher for patients in the HER2+ MBC+ cohort vs. the HER2+ MBC- cohort. In the medium-term secondary analysis, mean per patient total costs were $218,171 [standard error (SE) $5450] in the first year following MBC diagnosis and $412,903 (SE $13,034) cumulatively over 3 years following diagnosis (among patients with complete follow-up). Primary cost contributors were outpatient visits ($195,162; SE $8043) and HER2-targeted therapy drug costs ($177,489; SE $8120).

CONCLUSIONS

HER2+ MBC is associated with high short-term and medium-term direct healthcare costs. These could be alleviated with early diagnosis and optimal standard-of-care treatment for early breast cancer, which can significantly reduce the risk of recurrence.

Changing costs of metastatic non small cell lung cancer in the Netherlands

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this study was to identify the total intramural cost of illness of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the Netherlands between 2006-2012. Secondary objective was to identify whether changes in cost patterns of metastatic NSCLC have occurred over the last years.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC between 1-1-2006 and 31-12-2012, who had follow-up to death or the date of data cut-off and no trial participation were included. A structured chart review was performed using a case report form. Data collection started after diagnosis of metastatic NSCLC and ended at death or April first, 2015. Data regarding outpatient visits, clinical attendance, oncolytic drug use, imaging, lab tests, radiotherapy and surgery were collected.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven patients were included with a median age of 67 years. The median follow-up was 234days. On average patients had 28 outpatient visits and 11 inpatient days. Oncolytic drugs were administered to 76% of the patients. Mean per patient expenditures amounted up to €17,463, with oncolytic drugs (€6,390) as the main cost driver. In comparison with the time-period of 2003-2005 total per patient per year expenses decreased by 44%. The contribution to total yearly costs of oncolytic drugs increased from 18% to 35%, while costs for inpatient stay decreased from 52% to 28% of total expenditures.

CONCLUSION

Outcomes in this study demonstrate that average treatment costs for metastatic NSCLC in the Netherlands Cancer Institute amount to €17,463. Compared to a prior study the average cost for metastatic NSCLC over time in the Netherlands has decreased. A shift of main cost drivers seems to have occurred from inpatient stay, to oncolytic drugs as main contributor. The shift towards treatment cost might become more visible with the introduction of immunotherapy. These results mark the importance of up-to-date cost of illness studies.