Skip Navigation



Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on December 6, 2007
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdm488
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
19/3/487    most recent
mdm488v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lidgren, M.
Right arrow Articles by Bergh, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lidgren, M.
Right arrow Articles by Bergh, J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 2007 European Society for Medical Oncology

Cost-effectiveness of HER2 testing and 1-year adjuvant trastuzumab therapy for early breast cancer

M. Lidgren1,2,*, B. Jönsson3, C. Rehnberg1, N. Willking4 and J. Bergh4

1 Medical Management Centre, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
2 European Health Economics, Stockholm
3 Centre for Health Economics, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm
4 Radiumhemmet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

* Correspondence to: Dr M. Lidgren, European Health Economics, Vasagatan 38, 111 20, Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46-8-545-28-540; Fax: +46-8-545-28-549; E-mail: mathias.l{at}healtheconomics.se

Background: Clinical studies have demonstrated statistically significant reduction of breast cancer relapse and improved overall survival by adding trastuzumab for 1 year after adjuvant chemotherapy in human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 protein (HER2)/neu-positive breast cancer. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of HER2/neu testing and the addition of 1-year adjuvant trastuzumab after adjuvant chemotherapy from a societal perspective in a Swedish setting.

Material and methods: We used a Markov state transition model to simulate HER2/neu testing and adjuvant trastuzumab treatment in a hypothetical cohort of early breast cancer patients.

Results: The cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained for immunohistochemical (IHC) testing for all patients with FISH confirmation of IHC 2+ and 3+ and 1-year adjuvant trastuzumab for FISH-positive patients was estimated to {euro} 36 000. The strategy of FISH testing for all patients, with 1-year adjuvant trastuzumab for FISH-positive patients was associated with the longest quality adjusted survival of all evaluated treatment strategies and the cost per QALY gained was estimated to {euro} 41 500. The remaining testing and treatment strategies were dominated.

Conclusion: FISH testing for all patients with 1-year adjuvant trastuzumab for FISH+ patients is a cost-effective treatment option from a societal perspective.

adjuvant, breast cancer, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, QALY, trastuzumab

Received for publication March 5, 2007. Revision received September 18, 2007. Accepted for publication September 18, 2007.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 The Annals of PharmacotherapyHome page
A. L. Chan, H. W. Leung, C.-L. Lu, and S. J. Lin
Cost-Effectiveness of Trastuzumab as Adjuvant Therapy for Early Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review
Ann. Pharmacother., February 1, 2009; 43(2): 296 - 303.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.