Research presented at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium uncovers the economic impact of treating hormone receptor positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative metastatic breast cancer (HR+/HER2- mBC), revealing that costs related to adverse events (AEs) in patients undergoing late-line chemotherapy treatments are significant and contribute largely to health care utilization and costs. 

“Adverse events in patients receiving late-stage chemotherapy for HR+/HER2- mBC pose not only a high prevalence rate but also a substantial economic burden,” the authors of the study wrote.

The objective of the study was to analyze AE-related health care resource utilization and cost among patients suffering from HR+/HER2- mBC undergoing chemotherapy who received prior chemotherapy and endocrine therapies.

Researchers mined data from the Optum Research Database, choosing participants who had received at least one prior endocrine therapy, completed at least two chemotherapy treatments, and were having their third (or greater) chemotherapy treatment in a metastatic setting. The participants included 769 patients, mostly around the age of 64, followed from January 2016 until March 2022.

Their findings were telling. Approximately 93% of patients suffered at least one AE post-follow-up, and the average cost associated with managing these AEs per patient per month was found to be $7421. Major costs were triggered by outpatient and office visits, totaling $3846, and inpatient stays worth $3042 per month. Specific AEs requiring notable related expenses included infections, hepatotoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, and renal failure events.

The high prevalence of AEs during late-line treatment stages translates into an economic concern, potentially leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes. “This real-world analysis suggests that . . . Newer, effective therapies with manageable AE profiles may offer a better benefit-to-risk profile and improve outcomes compared with chemotherapies,” the authors recommend. Therefore, practitioners are urged to consider these findings when planning HR+/HER2- mBC patients’ treatment strategies.

Shah A, Sainski-Nguyen A, Moore K, Rehnquist M, Nanda R. Costs associated with adverse events in patients receiving treatment for hormone receptor positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative metastatic breast cancer. Presented at: the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; December 5-9, 2023; San Antonio, TX, and virtual; Abstract P02-05-03.