EE50 A Cost-Consequence Model of Using the 21-Gene Breast Recurrence Score Assay to Identify Patients With Early-Stage Node-Positive Breast Cancer Who Benefit From Adjuvant Chemotherapy in the Netherlands

Abstract

Patients with early-stage (I/II/IIIa) hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) negative invasive breast cancer with 1-3 positive lymph nodes (N1) often undergo surgical excisions followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT). Many of these patients, e.g., post-menopausal women, have no benefit from ACT and receive unnecessary treatment that is costly and often associated with short and long-term adverse effects (AEs). Gene expression profiling (GEP) assays, such as the 21-gene breast recurrence score® (21-gene), can be used to identify patients at higher risk for recurrence and who may benefit from ACT. However, the budgetary consequence of using 21-gene versus no GEP in the Netherlands is currently unknown and therefore here assessed using a cost-consequence model.