Clinical Management and Resource Utilisation for Postmenopausal Hormone-Receptor-Positive HER2-Negative (HR+ HER2-) Advanced Breast Cancer (BC) in Europe

Objective: To understand treatment patterns and quantify resource utilisation of HR+ HER2– Advanced BC, with the overall aim of comparing costs and disease burden as patients progress from hormonal therapy (HT) to chemotherapy (CT).
Methods: We conducted a chart audit in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden
of 399 living and deceased postmenopausal female patients (target, 75 per country) diagnosed with
HR+ HER2– advanced BC in the past 4 years. Patients were required to have progressed on ≥ 1 line of prior HT either in the adjuvant or advanced setting and to have completed ≥ 1 line of CT (minimum 2 full cycles) in the advanced BC setting. The chart audit was completed online using a standardised form developed with the assistance of European academic physicians, pharmacy directors, and hospital administrators. Participation was sought from 25 oncologists per country, except in Germany (15 oncologists and 10 gynecologists to reflect local clinical practice). Study was compliant with European and country market research regulations.
Results: Our report details the patient care pathway, CT side effects, and resource utilisation in the
inpatient and outpatient settings throughout the continuum of advanced BC care. In the study sample
55% of HR+ HER2– advanced BC patients are first treated with HT and switch to CT after an average
of 1.5 lines of HT. This switch is primarily influenced by the extent (56%) and progression rate (36%)
of metastases. The switch from HT to CT is associated with increased resource utilisation of treating
advanced BC.
Conclusions: Our results highlight the increased resource utilisation for postmenopausal HR+ HER2–
advanced BC patients treated with CT versus HT.