Systematic Review of the Cost Effectiveness of Breast Cancer Prevention, Screening, and Treatment Interventions

Cost-Effectiveness of Breast Cancer Screening Using Digital Mammography in Canada

Importance

Evolving breast cancer treatments have led to improved outcomes but carry a substantial financial burden. The association of treatment costs with the cost-effectiveness of screening mammography is unknown.

Objective

To determine the cost-effectiveness of population-based breast cancer screening in the context of current treatment standards.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this economic evaluation, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer/Statistics Canada OncoSim-Breast microsimulation model was used to estimate the impact of various screening schedules in terms of clinical outcomes and treatment costs. Breast cancer treatment costs were derived from activity-based costing published in 2023 specific to a publicly funded health system in Ontario, Canada. A single birth cohort of individuals assigned female at birth in 1975 was modeled until death or age 99 years (whichever came first).

Exposures

Five screening scenarios were modeled: no screening, biennial (ages 50-74 years and 40-74 years), hybrid (biennial ages 40-49 years and annual ages 50-74 years), and annual screening (ages 40-74 years).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for deaths averted, life-years (LYs) gained, and incremental cost-utility ratios for quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained were determined for screening scenarios. Sensitivity analyses were conducted by varying screening participation rates and reducing recall rates to 5% and the estimated mortality benefits of screening.

Results

Earlier initiation of breast cancer screening at age 40 years (vs age 50 years) was associated with improved clinical outcomes (deaths averted, LYs saved, and QALYs gained) and reduced health care spending on breast cancer treatment. From a health system perspective, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for biennial screening at ages 40 to 74 years compared with biennial screening at ages 50 to 74 years were cost saving, with CAD$49 759 saved per death averted, $1558 per LY saved, and $2007 saved per QALY gained. Annual screening at ages 40 to 74 years was cost-effective while achieving the best breast cancer outcomes, with costs of $25 501 per death averted, $1100 per LY saved, and $1447 per QALY gained compared with the current Canadian standard of biennial screening at ages 50 to 74 years.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this economic analysis, although screening costs increased according to the number of lifetime screens, they were completely or largely offset by reduced breast cancer therapy costs. Digital mammography was a highly cost-effective tool to reduce breast cancer mortality. These results have important policy implications for all single-payer health systems and call for greater investment in screening programs.

Health utilities used in oncology cost-utility analyses: a registry-based analysis

BACKGROUND

Health utility is a key input used to perform cost-utility analysis (CUA), which is increasingly used to inform resource allocation decisions.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the sources and elicitation methods of health utilities used in CUAs in oncology.

METHODS

We used the Tufts Cost-Effectiveness Analysis registry to identify oncology CUAs published in Medline between 1976 and 2021. Eligible CUAs had to include an oncology population (based on ICD-10 codes), report health utilities, and be published in English. The references of cited health utilities were traced to identify the original health utility study and the method of utility elicitation. Characteristic of included CUAs were summarized and the methods to derive health utilities were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 1512 CUAs in oncology were identified. The majority of CUAs (n = 1428, 94.4%) were model-based. Malignant neoplasm of breast and female genital organs was the most common population considered (n = 424, 28.0%). Among these CUAs, 8714 health utilities were identified. Upon review, the sources of 2096 (24.1%) health utilities could not be traced. Of the remaining 6618 health utilities, 1718 (26.0%) were obtained from original health utility study embedded in CUA in which expert opinion (n = 547, 31.8%) or EQ-5D (n = 479, 27.9%) was most frequently used. The 4900 health utilities (74.0%) that were cited from external studies were most often derived using the standard gamble (n = 1258, 25.7%) or EQ-5D (n = 1190, 24.3%).

CONCLUSION

Published health utilities are widely used in oncology CUAs, especially for model-based analyses. However, the identification, selection, and use of health utilities is suboptimal.

Budget impact analysis of introducing digital breast tomosynthesis in breast cancer screening in Italy

PURPOSE

This study quantifies the impact on budget and cost per health benefit of implementing digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in place of digital mammography (DM) for breast cancer screening among asymptomatic women in Italy.

METHODS

A budget impact analysis and a cost consequence analysis were conducted using parameters from the MAITA project and literature. The study considered four scenarios for DBT implementation, i.e., DBT for all women, DBT for women aged 45-49 years, DBT based on breast density (BI-RADS C + D or D only), and compared these to the current DM screening. Healthcare provider's perspective was adopted, including screening, diagnosis, and cancer treatment costs.

RESULTS

Introducing DBT for all women would increase overall screening costs by 20%. Targeting DBT to women aged 45-49 years or with dense breasts would result in smaller cost increases (3.2% for age-based and 1.4-10.7% for density-based scenarios). The cost per avoided interval cancer was significantly higher when DBT was applied to all women compared to targeted approaches. The cost per gained early-detected cancer slightly increases in targeted approaches, while the assumptions on the clinical significance and overdiagnosis of cancers detected by DBT and not by DM have a strong impact.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementing DBT as a primary breast cancer test in screening programs in Italy would lead to a substantial increase in costs. Tailoring DBT use to women aged 45-49 or with dense breasts could enhance the feasibility and sustainability of the intervention. Further research is needed to clarify the impact of DBT on overdiagnosis and the long-term outcomes.

Evaluation of Financial Interventions in Breast Cancer Care Worldwide: A Systematic Review

Background

Out-of-pocket costs are burdensome for breast cancer patients. Cost-reducing interventions, though implemented, have unclear comparative efficacy. This study aimed to critically evaluate characteristics of successful versus unsuccessful interventions designed to decrease out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer patients.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA checklist. Embase, PubMed, Global Index Medicus, and Global Health were queried from inception to February 2021. Articles describing a financial intervention targeting costs for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, or treatment and addressing clinical or patient-level financial outcomes were included. Methodological quality was evaluated using the QualSyst tool. Interventions were organized in accordance with timing of implementation, with narrative description of intervention type, success, and outcomes.

Results

Of the 11,086 articles retrieved, 21 were included in this review. Of these, 14 consisted of interventions during screening, and seven during diagnosis or treatment. Free/subsidized screening mammography was the most common screening intervention; 91% of these programs documented successful outcomes. Patient navigation and gift voucher programs demonstrated mixed success. The most successful intervention implemented during diagnosis/treatment was reducing medication costs. Low-cost programs and direct patient financial assistance were also successful. Limitations included lack of standardization in outcome metrics across studies.

Conclusions

Financial interventions reducing prices through free screening mammography and decreasing medication costs were most successful. Less successful interventions were not contextually tailored, including gift card incentivization and low-cost treatment modalities. These findings can facilitate implementation of broader, more generalizable programs to reduce costs and improve outcomes during evaluation and management of breast cancer.

Anastrozole for the prevention of breast cancer in high-risk postmenopausal women: cost-effectiveness analysis in the UK and the USA

PURPOSE

The effectiveness of anastrozole for breast cancer prevention has been demonstrated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of anastrozole for the prevention of breast cancer in women with a high risk of breast cancer and to determine whether anastrozole for the primary prevention of breast cancer can improve the quality of life of women and save health-care resources.

METHODS

A decision-analytic model was used to assess the costs and effects of anastrozole prevention versus no prevention among women with a high risk of breast cancer. The key parameters of probability were derived from the IBIS-II trial, and the cost and health outcome data were derived from published literature. Costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for the two strategies,One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

In the base case, the incremental cost per QALY of anastrozole prevention was £125,705.38/QALY in the first 5 years compared with no prevention in the UK, above the threshold of WTP (£3,000/QALY),and in the 12-year period, the ICER was £8,313.45/QALY, less than WTP. For the US third-party payer, ICER was $134,232.13/QALY in the first 5 years and $8,843.30/QALY in the 12 years, both less than the WTP threshold ($150,000/QALY).

CONCLUSION

In the UK and US, anastrozole may be a cost-effective strategy for the prevention of breast cancer in high-risk postmenopausal women. Moreover, the longer the cycle of the model, the higher the acceptability. The results of this study may provide a scientific reference for decision-making for clinicians, patients, and national medical and health care government departments.

Diagnostic yield of contrast-enhanced abdominal staging CT in patients with initially diagnosed breast cancer

PURPOSE

To estimate the diagnostic yield (DY) of abdominal staging CT for detecting breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) in patients with initially diagnosed breast cancer and to determine the indications for abdominal staging CT.

METHODS

Patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer who underwent abdominal CT as an initial staging work-up between January 2019 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. DY was calculated and analyzed according to patient age, type of treatments, histologic type, histologic grade, lymphovascular invasion, Ki-67 status, hormone receptor status, subtype, and the American Joint Committee on Cancer anatomical staging.

RESULTS

A total of 2056 patients (mean age, 51 ± 11 years) were included. The DY of abdominal staging CT for detecting BCLM was 1.1 % (22 of 2056). DY was significantly higher in stage III than in stage I or II cancers (3.9 % [18 of 467] vs. 0 % [0 of 412] or 0.4 % [4 of 1158], respectively, p < .001), and in human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-enriched cancers than in luminal or triple negative cancers (2.9 % [16 of 560] vs. 0.4 % [4 of 1090] or 0.5 % [2 of 406], respectively, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The DY of abdominal staging CT for detecting BCLM was low among all patients with initially diagnosed breast cancer. However, although abdominal staging CT for detecting BCLM is probably unnecessary in all patients, it can be clinically useful in patients with stage III or human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-enriched breast cancers.

Critical assessment of resource waste in staging and follow-up of breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is a public health problem with both high incidence and cure rates. After treatment, patients are monitored for long periods of time due to the risk of recurrence. Thus, staging and follow-up strategies should consider not only the best results for the patient but also its costs for the public health system.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to quantify the waste of resources on breast cancer follow-up and evaluate its impact on the public health system.

METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of consecutive medical records to identify the intervals between consultations and tests used for staging and during the first 2 years of follow-up of patients with breast cancer treated at a public hospital in Brazil. Data were compared with the guidelines of the main international consensus.

RESULTS

Medical records of 60 consecutive patients treated in 2018 were selected, of whom 52 had 2 or more years of follow-up, and 8 had only 1 year of complete follow-up. A total of 34 patients (56.67%) underwent excessive examinations for stating. During follow-up, 125 surplus consultations were performed (33.6%). In this phase, 111 surplus exams were also performed, representing an increase of 100.9%. A total of 423 laboratory tests were performed for 18 patients in the first year and 229 tests for 14 patients in the second year.

CONCLUSION

Excessive tests and consultations significantly burdened the Unified Health System without any benefit to patients. Better adherence to staging and follow-up recommendations could reduce costs and optimize the limited resources used in the public health system.

Methods, Detection Rates, and Survival Outcomes of Screening for Head and Neck Cancers: A Systematic Review

Importance

Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are often diagnosed at advanced clinical stages during their symptomatic phase, leading to a reduced treatment window and poor survival. Screening programs have been suggested as a mitigation strategy.

Objective

To examine the effectiveness of current HNC screening programs in improving diagnosis and survival in adults.

Evidence Review

This Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses-guided systematic review involved use of peer-reviewed, English-language journal articles identified from MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials between January 1, 2001, and July 15, 2022. Snowballing was applied to retrieve more studies. Eligible articles were original clinical trials and observational studies presenting a universal or risk-targeted screening program of primary HNC in the adult population. Reporting quality was assessed using the JBI's critical appraisal tools.

Findings

Database searches yielded 3646 unique citations with an additional 8 studies found via snowballing. Five reviewers assessed the full text of 106 studies. Sixteen articles were ultimately included in the review, involving 4.7 million adults (34.1%-100% male; median age, 30-59 years). Fifteen studies were based in Asia and 1 in Europe (Portugal). Five reported data from randomized clinical trials. An oral inspection conducted once or once every 2 to 3 years was described in 11 studies for screening oral cancer, while multistep screening involving Epstein-Barr virus serologic testing for nasopharyngeal carcinoma delivered every 1 to 4 years was presented in 5. In 4 trials and 6 observational studies, screening significantly increased the detection of localized (stage I/II) tumor or was associated with an increased proportion of diagnoses, respectively, regardless of the population and cancer subsites. Universal screening of asymptomatic adults improved 3- to 5-year overall survival but did not increase cancer-specific survival in 4 trials. Targeted screening improved overall and cancer-specific survival or was associated with improved survival outcomes in 2 trials and 2 observational studies, respectively. Studies had low to medium risks of bias.

Conclusions and Relevance

Evidence from the existing literature suggests that a risk-targeted screening program for oral and nasopharyngeal cancers could improve diagnosis and patient survival. Screening adherence, societal cost-effectiveness, and optimal risk stratification of such a program warrant future research, especially in low-incidence settings outside Asia.

Characteristics, level of evidence, and impact of clinical studies on peri-implantitis: 2017 to 2021

BACKGROUND

The level of evidence (LOE) is an important tool in current evidence-based practice and clinical research. However, in clinical studies on peri-implantitis, the present status of the LOE and its association with research impact remains to be determined. The present study aimed to gather the characteristics and LOE of clinical studies on peri-implantitis conducted from 2017 to 2021 and assess the association of the LOE with social and scientific impact.

METHODS

The PubMed database was searched to retrieve clinical studies that evaluated peri-implantitis-related healthcare interventions and were published between 2017 and 2021. A 4-level modified Oxford 2011 LOE tool was used to determine the LOE of these studies. Citation count and Altmetric Attention Scores (AAS) were derived from the Web of Science and Altmetric Explorer, respectively. Multivariate generalized estimation equation (GEE) analysis was conducted to explore relationships between the LOE and citation count, and between the LOE and AAS; the publication year was considered the grouping factor for adjusting for potential clustering effects.

RESULTS

Two hundred and thirty-five studies were considered eligible. The percentages by level from Level-1 to Level-4 were 9.8%, 35.7%, 28.9%, and 25.5%. Multivariable GEE analyses revealed that studies with higher LOE ratings had significantly greater citation counts (p = 0.008). However, no significant association (p = 0.872) was observed between the LOE and AAS.

CONCLUSIONS

From 2017 to 2021, more than 40% of studies published on peri-implantitis each year had high-LOE ratings. High-LOE studies showed a tendency to have greater scientific impact.

Healthcare and Cancer Treatment Costs of Breast Screening Outcomes among Higher than Average Risk Women

Concurrent cohorts of 644,932 women aged 50-74 screened annually due to family history, dense breasts or biennially in the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) from 2011-2014 were linked to provincial administrative datasets to determine health system resource utilization and costs. Age-adjusted mean and median total healthcare costs (2018 CAD) and incremental cost differences were calculated by screening outcome and compared by recommendation using regression models. Healthcare costs were compared overall and 1 year after a false positive (n = 46,081) screening mammogram and 2 years after a breast cancer diagnosis (n = 6011). Mean overall healthcare costs by age were highest for those 60-74, particularly with annual screening for family/personal history (CAD 5425; 95% CI: 5308 to 5557) compared to biennial. Although the mean incremental cost difference was higher (23.4%) by CAD 10,235 (95% CI: 6141 to 14,329) per breast cancer for women screened annually for density ≥ 75% compared to biennially, the cost difference was 12.0% lower (-CAD 461; 95% CI: -777 to -114) per false positive result. In contrast, for women screened annually for family/personal history, the mean cost difference per false positive was 19.7% higher than for biennially (CAD 758; 95% CI: 404 to 1118); however, the cost difference per breast cancer was only slightly higher (2.5%) by CAD 1093 (95% CI: -1337 to CAD 3760). Understanding that associated costs of annual compared to biennial screening may balance out by age and outcome can assist decision-making regarding the use of limited healthcare resources.

Cost-effectiveness of sacituzumab govitecan versus chemotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The effectiveness of sacituzumab govitecan for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been reported in recent research, however, the value of the effectiveness and cost of sacituzumab govitecan is still unclear.

METHODS

A microsimulation model was developed using data from the ASCENT trial to assess the cost-effectiveness of sacituzumab govitecan for patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic TNBC over a lifetime. Model inputs, including clinical data, patient characteristics, and direct medical costs, were based on the ASCENT trial, public databases, and published literature. The primary outcomes of the model were the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) and multiple scenario analyses were performed to address the uncertainty of the model.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that sacituzumab govitecan versus chemotherapy costs $293,037 and yielded an additional 0.2340 of QALYs in the whole population with metastatic TNBC, leading to an ICER of $1,252,295 gained. And in the population with metastatic TNBC without brain metastasis, the sacituzumab govitecan versus chemotherapy costs $309,949 and obtained an extra 0.2633 of QALYs, which resulted in an ICER of $1,177,171/QALYs. Univariate analyses indicated that the model outcomes were most sensitive to the drug cost of sacituzumab govitecan, the utility of progression-free disease, and the utility of progressed disease.

CONCLUSION

From the US payer perspective, sacituzumab govitecan is unlikely to be a cost-effective option for patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic TNBC compared with chemotherapy. Based on the value standpoint, a price decrease of sacituzumab govitecan is expected to increase the cost-effectiveness of sacituzumab govitecan in patients with metastatic TNBC.

Breast Cancer: Impact of New Treatments?

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer treatment has seen tremendous progress since the early 1980s, with the first findings of new chemotherapy and hormone therapies. Screening started in the same period.

METHODS

A review of population data (SEER and the literature) shows an increase in recurrence-free survival until 2000 and it stagnates afterwards.

RESULTS

Over the period 1980-2000, the 15% survival gain was presented by pharma as a contribution of new molecules. The contribution of screening during that same period was not implemented by them, although screening has been accepted as a routine procedure in the States since the 1980s and everywhere else since 2000.

CONCLUSIONS

Interpretation of breast cancer outcome has largely focused on drugs, whereas other factors, such as screening, prevention, biologics, and genetics, were largely neglected. More attention should now be paid to examining the strategy based on realistic global data.

Cost-Effectiveness of Breast Cancer Early Detection Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

This review explores the cost-effectiveness of the strategies used in the breast cancer early detection programs of low- to middle-income countries.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed to identify related studies, published up to August 2021, on PubMed, Cochrane, ProQuest, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The Cochrane Handbook and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol were referenced during the reporting process. The Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards 2022 criteria were used to assess the requirements of the selected studies. Articles with original data and full texts were included in the review. Non-low- to middle-income countries and non-English articles were excluded.

RESULTS

This review identified 12 suitable studies, wherein 6 investigated the cost-effectiveness of clinical breast examinations (CBEs), whereas 10 looked into mammogram (MMG) with or without CBE. In 2 studies, the cost-effectiveness of raising awareness through mass media and the use of ultrasounds combined with CBE were investigated. Although cost-effective, MMG incurs greater costs and requires more skill to be performed. MMG screenings before the age of 40 years were not cost-effective. The limitations of this review include variability in the methodological approaches of its selected studies. Most of the chosen studies met the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards 2022 criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

This review shows that adopting an age- and risk-based MMG screening approach could be viable in countries with limited resources. Future cost-effectiveness analysis research should include a section on patient and stakeholder engagement with the study's results.

Contribution of genetic factors in the occurrence of breast cancer in cuban women

Introduction: breast cancer is a disease of multifactorial etiology, where genetic factors and environmental factors are involved, in Cuba it constitutes the second cause of mortality in women "however" it is not known what the risk of a woman is developing it attributable to genetic predisposition, limiting an effective genetic counseling. Objective: to identify the preferential clustering of breast cancer in relatives of cases with respect to the population and to analyze the genetic contribution in people with breast cancer attended at the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology (INOR). Methods: we conducted an analytical study of cases and nested neighborhood controls in a dynamic cohort. The sample consisted of 66 cases and 132 controls. The genetic contribution was studied through the tools of genetic epidemiology. Results: there was a preferential clustering of this disease in families that, in the population, genetic factors defined the familial prevalence of breast cancer in the relatives of the cases and there was an increasing tendency to suffer the disease as the proportion of genes to be shared increases. Conclusion: the preferential aggregation of breast cancer is identified and the contribution of genetic factors in the appearance of this disease in women attended at INOR is analyzed, showing that a person has three times more risk of suffering breast cancer attributable to the history of this disease in second-degree relatives

Biomarker Discordances and Alterations Observed in Breast Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Causes, Frequencies, and Clinical Significances

PURPOSE

Biomarker discordances and alterations can be encountered between tru-cut biopsy and residual tumor in breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACTx). We aimed to investigate the effect of NACTx on major biomarker expression (ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67) and tumor grade, the frequency and causes of receptor discordances, and the clinical significance of changes in terms of adjuvant therapy need and chemosensitivity.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, ER, PR, HER2, and Ki-67 expression and tumor grades were compared between pre- and post-NACTx tumor samples using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The frequencies of receptor discordances and the need for new adjuvant therapy due to discordances were calculated. The effect of patient and tumor characteristics and NACTx regimens on discordances was investigated using multivariate analysis. Using histopathological examinations, residual tumors were divided into chemotherapy-responsive and chemotherapy-unresponsive tumors. Biomarker changes in both groups were analyzed for predictability of chemosensitivity.

RESULTS

Of the 169 patients who received NACTx, 102 patients having enough residual tumors in the surgical pathology specimen were enrolled in the study. Histopathologically, about 70% of tumors were partially responsive to NACTx and 30% were unresponsive (chemo-resistant). The concordance and discordance rates were 95.1% versus 4.9% for ER (p = 0.180), 97.1% versus 2.9% for PR (p = 0.083), and 89.2% versus 10.8% for HER2 (p = 0.763), respectively. In addition, 15% of hormone receptor (HR)-negative patients became HR(+) and 5.7% of HER2(-) patients became HER2(+) in the residual tumors, requiring adjuvant endocrine or anti-HER2 therapy. In particular, 18% of triple-negative patients became HR(+) and 12% became HER2(+). HER2 loss was detected in 40% of HER2(+) patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that lower estrogen expression (p = 0.046), a smaller tumor size (p = 0.029), and anti-HER2 therapy (p < 0.001) have independent efficacy on ER discordance, PR discordance, and HER2 discordance, respectively. Ki-67 and PR expression significantly decreased in chemotherapy-responsive tumors (p = 0.001 and p = 0.004), and the tumor grade increased in chemotherapy-unresponsive tumors (p = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 3-5% of HR discordance and about 10% of HER2 discordance can be observed in breast cancer after currently used NACTx regimens. Discordances are bi-directional (from positive to negative and vice versa), and their causes are multifactorial; they should be assessed accordingly. The NACTx effect alone cannot explain observed discordances but can cause biomarker alterations. The change in receptor status from positive to negative, especially HER2 loss, is mainly associated with the NACTx effect. However, the shift from negative to positive is thought to be primarily related to intratumoral heterogeneity. Receptor statuses becoming positive are of more clinical importance due to adjuvant therapy requirements. Biomarker alterations in PR, Ki-67, and tumor grade can provide predictive information about tumor chemosensitivity.

Association Between Primary Care Use Prior to Cancer Diagnosis and Subsequent Cancer Mortality in the Veterans Affairs Health System

IMPORTANCE

Primary care physicians (PCPs) are significant contributors of early cancer detection, yet few studies have investigated whether consistent primary care translates to improved downstream outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of prediagnostic primary care use with metastatic disease at diagnosis and cancer-specific mortality (CSM).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study used databases with primary care and referral linkage from multiple Veterans' Affairs centers from 2004 to 2017 and had a 68-month median follow-up. Analysis was completed between July 2021 and September 2022. Participants included veterans older than 39 years who had been diagnosed with 1 of 12 cancers. Inclusion criteria included known clinical staging, survival follow-up, cause of death, and receiving care at the Veterans Affairs health system (VA).

EXPOSURES

Prediagnostic PCP use, measured in the 5 years prior to diagnosis. PCP visits were binned into none (0 visits), some (1-4 visits), and annual (5 visits).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Metastatic disease at diagnosis, cancer-specific mortality (CSM) for entire cohort and stratified by tumor subtype.

RESULTS

Among 245 425 patients representing 12 tumor subtypes, mean age was 65.8 (9.3) years, and the cohort skewed male (97.6%), and White (76.1%), with higher levels of comorbidity (58.6% with Charlson Comorbidity Index scores ≥2). Compared with no prior visit, some PCP use was associated with 26% decreased odds of metastatic disease at diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.71-0.76; P < .001) and 12% reduced risk of CSM (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR], 0.88; 95% CI, 0.86-0.89; P < .001). Annual PCP use was associated with 39% decreased odds of metastatic disease (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.59-0.63; P < .001) and 21% reduced risk of CSM (SHR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.77-0.81; P < .001). Among tumor subtypes, prostate cancer had the largest effect size for prior PCP use on metastatic disease at diagnosis (OR for annual use, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.30-0.35; P < .001) and CSM (SHRfor annual use, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.48-0.55; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study, increased primary care use before cancer diagnosis was associated with significant decreases in metastatic disease at diagnosis and cancer-related death, with potentially the greatest difference from annual use. PCPs play a vital role in cancer prevention, and additional resources should be allocated to assist these physicians.

Cost-effectiveness of palbociclib in early breast cancer patients with a high risk of relapse: Results from the PENELOPE-B trial

Background

Patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer who have residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) are at a high risk of relapse. PENELOPE-B was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trial that investigated adding palbociclib (PAL) for thirteen 28-day cycles to adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) in these patients. Clinical results showed no significant improvement in invasive disease-free survival with PAL.

Methods

We performed a pre-planned cost-effectiveness analysis of PAL within PENELOPE-B from the perspective of the German statutory health insurance. Health-related quality of life scores, collected in the trial using the EQ-5D-3L instrument, were converted to utilities based on the German valuation algorithm. Resource use was valued using German price weights. Outcomes were discounted at 3% and modeled with mixed-level linear models to adjust for attrition, repeated measurements, and residual baseline imbalances. Subgroup analyses were performed for key prognostic risk factors. Scenario analyses addressed data limitations and evaluated the robustness of the estimated cost-effectiveness of PAL to methodological choices.

Results

The effects of PAL on quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were marginal during the active treatment phase, increasing thereafter to 0.088 (95% confidence interval: −0.001; 0.177) QALYs gained over the 4 years of follow-up. The incremental costs were dominated by PAL averaging EUR 33,000 per patient; costs were higher in the PAL arm but not significantly different after the second year. At an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of EUR 380,000 per QALY gained, PAL was not cost-effective compared to the standard-of-care ET. Analyses restricted to Germany and other subgroups were consistent with the main results. Findings were robust in the scenarios evaluated.

Conclusions

One year of PAL added to ET is not cost-effective in women with residual invasive disease after NACT in Germany.

Costs and Effects of Implementing Digital Tomosynthesis in a Population-Based Breast Cancer Screening Program: Predictions Using Results from the To-Be Trial in Norway

BACKGROUND

Although several studies from Europe and the US have shown promising screening results favoring digital breast tomosynthesis compared with standard digital mammography (DM), both costs and effects of implementing tomosynthesis in routine screening programs remain uncertain. The cost effectiveness of using tomosynthesis in routine screening is debated in the literature, and model inputs from randomized trials are lacking. Using parameters mainly from a randomized controlled trial (the To-Be trial), we simulated costs and effects of implementing tomosynthesis in the national screening program BreastScreen Norway.

METHODS

The To-Be trial was performed in Bergen from 2016 to 2017 within BreastScreen Norway, where females were randomized to either digital breast tomosynthesis including synthetic mammograms (DBT) or DM. The trial was followed by a cohort study offering all females DBT in 2018-2019. The trial included over 37,000 females, and allowed for estimation of short-term costs and effects related to screening, recall examinations and cancer detection. Using these and recent Norwegian estimates for 10-year stage-specific survival and treatment costs, the cost effectiveness of replacing DM with DBT in BreastScreen Norway was simulated in a decision tree model with probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Outcomes included false-positive screening results, screen-detected and interval cancers, stage at diagnosis, all-cause deaths, life-years gained, costs at recall and treatment and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.

RESULTS

The estimated additional cost of DBT was €8.10. Simulating ten rounds of screening from 2018 and 10-year survival and costs, 500 deaths were averted and 2300 life-years gained at an additional screening cost of €29 million for females screened with DBT versus DM. Taking over-diagnosis, recall and treatment costs into account, DBT was dominant in the deterministic analysis. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio indicated cost savings of €1400 per life-year gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed that DBT was cost effective in over 50% of the simulations at all willingness-to-pay levels per life-year gained, and in 80% of the simulations at levels above €22,000. If willingness-to-pay levels up to €35,000 were assumed, DBT would be cost effective in over 50% of the simulations for additional costs of DBT of up to €32, almost four times the estimated additional cost of €8.10.

CONCLUSION

DBT may be cost effective if implemented in BreastScreen Norway. However, generalizability of results could depend on factors varying between countries, such as recall rates, program sensitivity and specificity, treatment cost and willingness-to-pay levels.

Uptake Rates of Risk-Reducing Surgeries for Women at Increased Risk of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Applied to Cost-Effectiveness Analyses: A Scoping Systematic Review

The cost-effectiveness of genetic screen-and-treat strategies for women at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer often depends on the women's willingness to make use of risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) or salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO). To explore the uptake rates of RRM and RRSO applied in health economic modeling studies and the impact of uptake rates on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER), we conducted a scoping literature review. In addition, using our own model, we conducted a value of information (VOI) analysis. Among the 19 models included in the review, the uptake rates of RRM ranged from 6% to 47% (RRSO: 10% to 88%). Fifty-seven percent of the models applied retrospective data obtained from registries, hospital records, or questionnaires. According to the models' deterministic sensitivity analyses, there is a clear trend that a lower uptake rate increased the ICER and vice versa. Our VOI analysis showed high decision uncertainty associated with the uptake rates. In the future, uptake rates should be given more attention in the conceptualization of health economic modeling studies. Prospective studies are recommended to reflect regional and national variations in women's preferences for preventive surgery.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Imaging Modalities for Breast Cancer Surveillance Among BRCA1/2 Mutation Carriers: A Systematic Review

Background

BRCA1/2 mutation carriers are suggested with regular breast cancer surveillance screening strategies using mammography with supplementary MRI as an adjunct tool in Western countries. From a cost-effectiveness perspective, however, the benefits of screening modalities remain controversial among different mutated genes and screening schedules.

Methods

We searched the MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to collect and compare the results of different cost-effectiveness analyses. A simulated model was used to predict the impact of screening strategies in the target group on cost, life-year gained, quality-adjusted life years, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).

Results

Nine cost-effectiveness studies were included. Combined mammography and MRI strategy is cost-effective in BRCA1 mutation carriers for the middle-aged group (age 35 to 54). BRCA2 mutation carriers are less likely to benefit from adjunct MRI screening, which implies that mammography alone would be sufficient from a cost-effectiveness perspective, regardless of dense breast cancer.

Conclusions

Precision screening strategies among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers should be conducted according to the acceptable ICER, i.e., a combination of mammography and MRI for BRCA1 mutation carriers and mammography alone for BRCA2 mutation carriers.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO, identifier CRD42020205471.

Adherence to guidance for prioritizing higher risk groups for breast cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Ontario Breast Screening Program: a descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer screening in Ontario, Canada, was deferred during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a prioritization framework to resume services according to breast cancer risk was developed. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the pandemic within the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) by comparing total volumes of screening mammographic examinations and volumes of screening mammographic examinations with abnormal results before and during the pandemic, and to assess backlogs on the basis of adherence to the prioritization framework.

METHODS

A descriptive study was conducted among women aged 50 to 74 years at average risk and women aged 30 to 69 years at high risk, who participated in the OBSP. Percentage change was calculated by comparing observed monthly volumes of mammographic examinations from March 2020 to March 2021 with 2019 volumes and proportions by risk group. We plotted estimates of backlog volumes of mammographic examinations by risk group, comparing pandemic with prepandemic screening practices. Volumes of mammographic examinations with abnormal results were plotted by risk group.

RESULTS

Volumes of mammographic examinations in the OBSP showed the largest declines in April and May 2020 (> 99% decrease) and returned to prepandemic levels as of March 2021, with an accumulated backlog of 340 876 examinations. As of March 2021, prioritization had reduced the backlog volumes of screens for participants at high risk for breast cancer by 96.5% (186 v. 5469 expected) and annual rescreens for participants at average risk for breast cancer by 13.5% (62 432 v. 72 202 expected); there was a minimal decline for initial screens. Conversely, the backlog increased by 7.6% for biennial rescreens (221 674 v. 206 079 expected). More than half (59.4%) of mammographic examinations with abnormal results were for participants in the higher risk groups.

INTERPRETATION

Prioritizing screening for those at higher risk for breast cancer may increase diagnostic yield and redirect resources to minimize potential long-term harms caused by the pandemic. This further supports the clinical utility of risk-stratified cancer screening.

Cost-effectiveness of treatments for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and associated metastases: an overview of systematic reviews

Introduction: Treatment of human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer has rapidly evolved over the past decades with the addition of trastuzumab, lapatinib, pertuzumab, and trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). These treatments have dramatically impacted the survival of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients. Nonetheless, these agents are associated with high price tags, begging the question, 'Are treatments for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and associated metastases cost-effective'?Areas covered: We examine evidence on the cost-effectiveness of treatments for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and associated metastases through a review of systematic reviews on the topic. Additionally, we discuss the implications of our findings and provide recommendations for future directions in the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of targeted directed agents for HER2-positive mBC.Expert opinion: Heterogeneous evidence from cost-effectiveness studies on the use of targeted directed agents for HER2-positive mBC across the world caution against cross-country comparisons of the value of such treatments. It also militates in favor of the production and use of cost-effectiveness analyses for local rather than global decision-making, thus ensuring that economic evaluations reflect the needs of local decision-makers and populations for which they are devised.

Cost-effectiveness of risk-based breast cancer screening: A systematic review

To analyse published evidence on the economic evaluation of risk-based screening (RBS), a full systematic literature review was conducted. After a quality appraisal, we compared the cost-effectiveness of risk-based strategies (low-risk, medium-risk and high-risk) with no screening and age-based screening. Studies were also analysed for modelling, risk stratification methods, input parameters, data sources and harms and benefits. The 10 modelling papers analysed were based on screening performance of film-based mammography (FBM) (three); digital mammography (DM) and FBM (two); DM alone (three); DM, ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (one) and DM and US (one). Seven studies did not include the cost of risk-stratification, and one did not consider the cost of diagnosis. Disutility was incorporated in only six studies (one for screening and five for diagnosis). None of the studies reported disutility of risk-stratification (being considered as high-risk). Risk-stratification methods varied from only breast density (BD) to the combination of familial risk, genetic susceptibility, lifestyle, previous biopsies, Jewish ancestry and reproductive history. Less or no screening in low-risk women and more frequent mammography screening in high-risk women was more cost-effective compared to no screening and age-based screening. High-risk women screened annually yielded a higher mortality rate reduction and more quality-adjusted life years at the expense of higher cost and false positives. RBS can be cost effective compared to the alternatives. However, heterogeneity among risk-stratification methods, input parameters, and weaknesses in the methodologies hinder the derivation of robust conclusions. Therefore, further studies are warranted to assess newer technologies and innovative risk-stratification methods.