The financial impact of trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer: The experience of the Institut Curie

Abstract

663 Purpose: To estimate, in term of public health on the scale of a region, the cost of trastuzumab and to point out the financial impact of this new targeted therapy in the adjuvant setting. Methods: To understand the consequences of the spending on of trastuzumab at a macroeconomic level in the French hospital financing system, we decided to focus on an establishment in particular, and to analyze the increasing spending of trastuzumab at a micro-economic level, to provide a cost analysis of patients treated with trastuzumab for HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer. We retrospectively reviewed 137 medical reports of patients who received trastuzumab either in combination with chemotherapy or as a single agent and in maintenance therapy. Median age of the patients was 52 years (range 32- to 79+). Eighty five percent had 3+ HER2 overexpression and fifteen percent had 2+ HER2 (FISH amplified). Results: Median survival from first treatment with trastuzumab was 38.5 months (range 0,04–53,06+). The cost of the first year treatment is in average €43,435.58 per patient, for the second year €36,419.01 and for the third year €37,198.94. Drugs cost represents 78% of the hospital stays cost for a patient and 2.9% of the budget of Institut Curie. Conclusions: This retrospective analysis showed the very high level of expenses of trastuzumab to treat metastatic breast cancers. With the adjuvant use of trastuzumab, it is expected that these expenses are going to increase exponentially. No significant financial relationships to disclose.