Growth factor use in patients with breast cancer treated with docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab (TCHP) regimen: Cost implications in a safety-net system.

Authors

null

Sarah Kashanian

UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX

Sarah Kashanian, Shifa Kanjwal, Steven Brown, Hsiao Ching Li, Nisha Unni, Glenda Maria Delgado Ramos, Samira K. Syed, Navid Sadeghi

Organizations

UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, Parkland Health, Dallas, TX

Research Funding

No funding received
None.

Background: Growth factor (G-CSF) support has been shown to reduce the incidence of neutropenic complications after chemotherapy; however, it can be associated with a significant increase in cost of care. Here, we reviewed G-CSF use in breast cancer patients receiving docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab (TCHP) regimen at a safety-net system. Methods: Parkland Health is the safety-net system that provides care to primarily uninsured/underinsured patients in Dallas County, Texas. The majority of patients treated at Parkland belong to racial and ethnic minorities. We reviewed electronic medical records of patients with HER-2 positive breast cancer who were treated with TCHP between 01/01/2017 and 12/31/2022 at Parkland. Data on patient demographics, treatment history, laboratory values, and treatment related complications were collected. Results: A total of 171 consecutive patients underwent neoadjuvant/adjuvant treatment with TCHP for HER-2 positive breast cancer. Forty-one patients (24.0%) received G-CSF for primary prophylaxis, as per discretion of treating physician. In the 130 patients (76.0%) who did not receive primary prophylaxis, G-CSF was added later in 41 patients (32.5%). Febrile neutropenia (FN), neutropenic treatment delays, and infections not meeting FN criteria accounted for the majority of cases where G-CSF was added later in the course of treatment. Overall, 529 cycles of TCHP were administered without G-CSF vs. 372 cycles with G-CSF. Without primary prophylaxis, 18.5% (24/130) of the patients developed FN vs 2.4% (1/41) for those who received primary prophylaxis, p=0.011. FN was a complication in 4.5% (24/529) of chemotherapy cycles without G-CSF vs. 1.1% (4/372) of cycles administered with G-CSF, p=0.003. In patients treated without G-CSF, the majority of FN episodes (71%) occurred within the first 3 cycles. FN resulted in a total of 150 days (median 5 days) of hospital stay resulting in $1.2 million (M) in charges (median $36,000 per admission). Universal G-CSF use in our patient population could have prevented 21 episodes of febrile neutropenia with an estimated saving of $1.05 M (hospital admission charges), at an extra cost of $1.8M (based on the pegfilgrastim Medicare average sales price (ASP) from 2017-2022). However, based on the 2023 Medicare ASP, by substituting pegfilgrastim for biosimilars, the estimated cost would have been $603,000. Conclusions: Our study did not show an FN rate >20% to warrant routine addition of G-CSF for primary prophylaxis as recommended by the NCCN. During the study period, the cost of G-CSF was prohibitive for its universal use. However, the recent introduction of G-CSF biosimilars has significantly reduced the cost burden and justifies routine G-CSF prophylaxis as a cost saving measure.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session A

Track

Quality, Safety, and Implementation Science,Cost, Value, and Policy,Patient Experience,Survivorship

Sub Track

Cost and Cost-Effectiveness of Care

Citation

JCO Oncol Pract 19, 2023 (suppl 11; abstr 10)

DOI

10.1200/OP.2023.19.11_suppl.10

Abstract #

10

Poster Bd #

A5

Abstract Disclosures