Economic evaluation of adjuvant trastuzumab emtansine in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer and residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant taxane and trastuzumab-based treatment in Canada

Estimating Public Economic Gains from Early Breast Cancer and Curative Treatment: A Case Study in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (HER-2) Positive Targeted Therapies

INTRODUCTION

Cancer diagnosis influences the choices that patients make regarding current and future labor market activity. These choices have implications for governments based on resulting changes in taxes paid and benefits received. In this analysis we explore how human growth receptor 2 (HER2)-positive residual invasive breast cancer and different treatments influence government accounts excluding health costs.

METHODS

HER2-positive early breast cancer (eBC) health states from a published disease model were used to establish likelihood of working and wage impact at different stages of disease. The indirect productivity losses for an average woman aged 49 years were translated into fiscal consequences to government by applying an established government perspective-modeling framework. The fiscal projections (discounted) include gross tax revenue by disease stage, government transfer costs related to time off work and early retirement ,and net fiscal balance (e.g., gross taxes-transfers) in three countries Canada, Portugal, and Brazil.

RESULTS

The net fiscal balance in Canada for a healthy woman was C$109,551 compared with a HER2-positive eBC woman treated with trastuzumab emtansine (C$69,767) or trastuzumab (C$62,971). A similar pattern was observed in the three countries but reflecting the overall tax burden in each country, labor force activity, and available public benefits. Age at diagnosis was an important determinant of the likely net fiscal balance, as this influences the remaining working years.

DISCUSSION

Women diagnosed with HER2-positive eBC were estimated to pay less lifetime gross taxes and receive more in sickness benefits compared with healthy women. Treatments that improve outcomes are likely to offer fiscal gains for government from improved work force participation.

Quality-adjusted life years for HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer using trastuzumab-containing regimens in the context of cost-effectiveness studies: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of economic and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive, early-stage breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab-containing regimens, by focusing on both Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratios (ICERs) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases without language or publication year restrictions. Two independent reviewers screened eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed methodology and reporting quality using the Drummond checklist and Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards 2022 (CHEERS 2022), respectively. Costs were converted to US dollars (US$) for 2023 for cross-study comparison.

RESULTS

Twenty-two articles, primarily from high-income countries (HICs), were included, with ICERs ranging from US$13,176/QALY to US$254,510/QALY, falling within country-specific cost-effectiveness thresholds. A notable association was observed between higher QALYs and lower ICERs, indicating a favorable cost-effectiveness and health outcome relationship. EQ-5D was the most utilized instrument for assessing health state utility values, with diverse targeted populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies reporting higher QALYs tend to have lower ICERs, indicating a positive relationship between cost-effectiveness and health outcomes. However, challenges such as methodological heterogeneity and transparency in utility valuation persist, underscoring the need for standardized guidelines and collaborative efforts among stakeholders.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO ID: CRD42021259826.

Economic evaluation of trastuzumab in HER2-positive early breast cancer in Indonesia: A cost-effectiveness analysis

BACKGROUND

Trastuzumab has significantly enhanced the survival and prognosis of individuals diagnosed with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive early breast cancer. Considering its relatively high costs, we aimed to examine the cost-effectiveness of trastuzumab plus chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone in HER2-positive early breast cancer from an Indonesian healthcare payer's perspective.

METHODS

A Markov model was developed to project the lifetime health benefits and costs associated with trastuzumab treatment for a cohort of women with HER2-positive early breast cancer. Efficacy data and baseline characteristics in the base-case analysis were primarily derived from the 11-year results of the HERA trial. Costs were based on verified reimbursement data from Indonesia's Health and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) of the year 2020. A scenario analysis was conducted with efficacy data based on the joint analysis from the NSABP B-31 and NCCTG N9831 trials, allowing for subgroup analysis by age at diagnosis. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the influence of parameter uncertainty.

RESULTS

In the base-case analysis, the results indicated that the lifetime costs for trastuzumab plus chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone were US$33,744 and US$22,720, respectively, resulting in substantial incremental savings of US$11,024 per patient for the former. Trastuzumab plus chemotherapy also led to higher total quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and life years gained (LYG), resulting in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of US$6,842 per QALY and US$5,510 per LYG. In scenario analysis, the subgroup with an age at diagnosis <40 years old reflected the most cost-effective subgroup. Both the base-case and scenario analyses demonstrated cost-effectiveness with a willingness-to-pay threshold of three-times Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings and conclusions.

CONCLUSION

In Indonesia, trastuzumab plus chemotherapy can be considered cost-effective compared to chemotherapy alone at a willingness-to-pay threshold of three times GDP, and it is likely most cost-effective in women <40 years of age.

Cost-effectiveness of clinical breast examination screening programme among HER2-positive breast cancer patients: a modelling study

PURPOSE

For many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), breast cancer (BC) screening based on mammography is not a viable option. Clinical breast examination (CBE) may represent a pragmatic and cost-effective alternative. This paper examines the cost-effectiveness of CBE screening programme among a patient group for whom its cost-effectiveness is likely to be least evident (HER2-positive patients) and discuss the wider implications for BC screening in LMICs.

METHODS

A Markov model was used to examine clinical and economic outcomes over a life-time horizon from the patient, public payer, and healthcare sector perspective. HER2-positive patients entered the model at either disease-free survival or metastatic BC state. The downstaging effect of CBE determined the starting probabilities in the no-screening and screening scenarios. The model used a monthly cycle length, with half-cycle correction. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 1.5% annually.

RESULTS

Compared with no-screening, the cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life-year gained for the CBE screening programme was $1801, $2381, and $4179 from three mentioned perspectives, respectively. The finding of cost-effectiveness remained robust to a range of sensitivity analyses. The parameters to which ICERs are most sensitive are average age of cohorts, reduction in proportion of metastatic patients at diagnosis, cost of CBE, and BC detection rate of the programme.

CONCLUSION

For HER2-positive patients and compared with no-screening, CBE screening programme in Vietnam is cost-effective from all investigated perspectives. CBE is a 'good value' intervention and should be considered for implementation throughout Vietnam as well as in LMICs where mammography is not feasible.

Cost-Effectiveness of Pyrotinib Plus Capecitabine versus Lapatinib Plus Capecitabine for the Treatment of HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer in China: A Scenario Analysis of Health Insurance Coverage

Background: The overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) gene is present in 20~25% of breast cancer (BC) patients, contributing to an inferior prognosis. Recent clinical trials showed that pyrotinib has promising antitumor activities and acceptable tolerability for those patients (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03080805 and NCT02422199). Therefore, this study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of pyrotinib plus capecitabine versus lapatinib plus capecitabine for patients with HER2-positive metastatic BC after prior trastuzumab. Methods: A lifetime-partitioned survival model was established to evaluate health and economic outcomes with different treatment strategies. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Data were derived from the published literature, clinical trials, expert opinions, and other local charges. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the findings. Scenario analyses were developed to make further evaluations. Results: The pyrotinib regimen had significant advantages over the lapatinib regimen after enrolling in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL), with cost savings of USD 15,599.27 and a gain of 0.53 QALYs. Meanwhile, before enrolling in NRDL, the pyrotinib regimen afforded the same QALYs at a higher incremental cost of USD 45,400.64 versus the lapatinib regimen, producing an ICER of USD 85,944.79 per QALY. Scenario analyses yielded similar results. Sensitivity analyses suggested stability in the cost-effectiveness findings. Conclusions: Compared to lapatinib plus capecitabine, the pyrotinib plus capecitabine enrolled in NRDL is a cost-effective alternative second-line treatment for patients with HER2-positive metastatic BC in China.