Tartari F, et al. – Study's goal was to ascertain the subgroup associated with the higher cost in the coming years, to achieve that the current and future costs related to the use of targeted agents in patients with HER2–positive and negative advanced breast cancer (BC) had been computed. Data proposed to carefully assess cost–analyses in the coming years, in particular in patients with HER2–negative tumors.

Methods

• The patient cost was estimated by considering an ideal patient who received therapeutic sequences including all approved agents for HER2–positive or negative BC.
• The median Progression–Free Survival (PFS) reported in the phase III trials which have led to the approval of these drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration computed the duration of treatment.
• In addition, the estimated number of BC patients in the US from 2012 to 2035 referred to data published by the World Health Organization.

Results

• It was noted that the per patient cost was $292, 155 for HER2–positive and $224,955 for negative tumors, respectively.
• With an annual increase ranged from 4.3 (for 2035) to 7.7% (for 2020), leading to a total expense of $3,648,232,975 in 2035, the total cost for HER2–positive patients was estimated for 2012 at $2,719,542,347.
• With an increase of more than $2.5 billion from 2012 to 2035, the total cost for HER2–negative patients in 2012 was estimated as $8,376,028,459.
• Raising to $7.6 billion to 2035, the estimated cost for HER2–negative patients was $5.6 billion higher that for HER2–positive tumors.