Abstract P1-15-01: Patterns of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) use in elderly breast cancer (BC) patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy

Background: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a common and potentially serious complication of myelosuppressive chemotherapy treatment in cancer patients. Oncology guidelines recommend primary G-CSF prophylaxis (PPG) in patients with a high risk of developing FN, which is risk >20% based on myelotoxicity of the regimen itself or from a combination of the therapy, older age, comorbidities and disease characteristics (Lyman Cancer 2011). Current patterns of G-CSF use and FN occurrence among elderly patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy for BC have not been previously reported. To determine this, we performed a retrospective analysis using a subset of the Medicare 5% database.

Methods: The Medicare 5% claims data set (includes a representative 5% systematic sample of Medicare beneficiaries) was used to identify BC patients age 65+ initiating chemotherapy between 7/1/2003 and 6/30/2009. Chemotherapy courses were identified for each patient; only the first course was used for this analysis. Using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines on Myeloid Growth Factors (NCCN V1.2012), chemotherapy course regimens were classified as high risk (HR) or intermediate risk (IR) for FN. Duration of first cycle was from date of first chemotherapy claim to the chemotherapy claim at day 21 or later, which defined the first day of the second cycle, etc., to a maximum of 9 cycles. First administration of G-CSF [filgrastim (NEUPOGEN®) or pegfilgrastim (Neulasta®)] was classified as either PPG (within first 5 days of first cycle), secondary prophylaxis (within first 5 days of second or subsequent cycles), or reactive (day 6 or later of first or subsequent cycles). FN assessed during the chemotherapy course was defined as hospitalization with a code for neutropenia in any position.

Results: 885 courses with high FN risk and 1046 with IR FN risk were identified. The HR cohort was younger (71.4 vs 74.5 yrs) and had fewer comorbidities than the IR cohort. Selected aspects of G-CSF use patterns are summarized in the table. Among HR courses, 11.8% had ≥1 FN hospitalization and 2.1% had 2+; among IR courses 5.6% had ≥1 and 0.4% had 2+.

Conclusion: NCCN recommends PPG be used with HR regimens and older age (notably >65 yr), an important risk factor for developing severe neutropenic complications. Despite this, PPG was used for elderly breast cancer patients in only 52% of chemotherapy courses with high risk of FN and in 10% of IR courses. More than 10% of patients with a HR regimen had an FN hospitalization. Careful attention to FN risk factors, including regimen and patient age, is needed when planning treatment strategy.

P4-11-19: Healthcare Resource Utilization among Breast Cancer Patients with Bone Metastases and Skeletal-Related Events: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Denmark (1997 - 2009)

Background

The healthcare resource utilization (HRU) of breast cancer patients who develop bone metastases and skeletal-related events (SREs) has not been well-characterized. Our objective was to describe the HRU associated with SREs in a large population-based cohort of Danish breast cancer patients with bone metastases and one or more SRE.

Methods: We identified women diagnosed with incident breast cancer from January 1, 1997 through December 31, 2006 using the Danish Cancer Registry. We followed this cohort of patients for development of subsequent bone metastases and SREs identified through the Danish National Registry of Patients through December 31, 2009. SREs were defined as pathologic fracture, spinal cord compression, and radiation or surgery to bone. Among patients with only one SRE, the HRU period, composed of all HRU occurring within a 90-day period after the SRE and within a two-week diagnostic period prior to the SRE, was assessed. For patients with multiple SREs (each one separated by less than 90 days), the HRU period, composed of all HRU occurring within a two-week diagnostic period prior to the first SRE up until 90 days after the last SRE, was described. Patients may have had multiple HRU periods if SREs were separated by more than 90 days. The HRU summarized included number of inpatient hospitalizations, length of hospitalization stay, outpatient physician visits, emergency room visits, and procedures.

Results: We identified 1,148 patients with bone metastases and SREs among 38,485 breast cancer patients. The mean age at breast cancer diagnosis for those who developed bone metastases and SREs was 59 years (SD, 13 years) and the majority (72%) of patients had multiple SREs during the first HRU period. Approximately 20% to 30% of patients with single and multiple SREs, respectively, died within the first HRU period. Overall, length of hospitalization was longest for patients with spinal cord compression followed by patients with pathologic fracture. In general, patients with multiple SREs had higher HRU compared to those with a single SRE in the first HRU period, particularly in length of hospitalization stay.

Conclusion: SREs secondary to bone metastases are serious events. In Denmark, high HRU was observed in all patients with SREs, but especially in those with multiple SREs, where increased lengths of hospitalization were observed.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-11-19.

Mortality following bone metastasis and skeletal-related events among men with prostate cancer: a population-based analysis of US Medicare beneficiaries, 1999-2006

Information on the impact of bone metastasis and skeletal-related events (SREs) on mortality among prostate cancer patients is limited. Using the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database, we identified men aged 65 years or older diagnosed with prostate cancer between July 1 1999 and December 31 2005 and followed to determine deaths through December 31 2006. We classified subjects as having bone metastasis and SREs as indicated by Medicare claims. Using Cox regression, we estimated mortality hazards ratios (HR) among men with bone metastasis with or without SRE, compared with men without bone metastasis. Among 126,978 men with prostate cancer (median follow-up, 3.3 years), 9746 (7.7%) had bone metastasis at prostate cancer diagnosis (1.7%) or during follow-up (5.9%). SREs occurred in 4296 (44%) men with bone metastasis. HRs for risk of death were 6.6 (95% CI=6.4-6.9) and 10.2 (95% CI=9.8-10.7), respectively, for men with bone metastasis but no SRE and for men with bone metastasis plus SRE, compared with men without bone metastasis. Bone metastasis was associated with mortality among prostate cancer patients. This association appeared to be stronger for bone metastasis plus SRE than for bone metastasis without SRE.

Recombinant factor VIIa after amniotic fluid embolism and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy

This case report illustrates the successful use of activated recombinant factor VIIa in the management of severe postpartum hemorrhage secondary to amniotic fluid embolism.