scholarly journals Docetaxel for the adjuvant treatment of early nodepositive breast cancer: a single technology appraisal

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 7-13
Author(s):  
J Chilcott ◽  
M Lloyd Jones ◽  
A Wilkinson

This paper presents a summary of the evidence review group (ERG) report into the clinical and cost-effectiveness of docetaxel for the adjuvant treatment of early node-positive breast cancer based upon the manufacturer’s submission to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as part of the single technology appraisal (STA) process. The manufacturer’s scope restricts the intervention to docetaxel in combination with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (TAC), and the comparator to anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Based on the BCIRG 001 trial, the submitted evidence shows that TAC is associated with superior disease-free and overall survival at 5 years compared with the anthracycline-based regimen FAC. The absolute risk reduction in patients treated with TAC compared with those treated with FAC was 7% for disease-free survival and 6% for overall survival. However, TAC was associated with significantly greater toxicity than FAC. There is also evidence that docetaxel, in an unlicensed sequential regimen FEC100-T, is associated with superior diseasefree and overall survival at 5 years compared with FEC100. An economic model was developed by the manufacturer based on the BCIRG 001 trial. This generated central estimates of the cost per life-year gained and cost per quality-adjusted lifeyear (QALY) gained of TAC compared with FAC of £7900 and £9800 respectively. The manufacturer’s submission predicts a cost-effectiveness of £15,000–£20,000 per QALY gained for TAC compared with E-CMF (epirubicin in sequential therapy with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil), and estimates the cost-effectiveness of FEC100-T to be £8200 per QALY compared with FEC100. Taking into account a number of issues identified by the ERG this may generate higher estimates of cost-effectiveness, but these are unlikely to exceed £35,000 per QALY gained. Importantly, FAC is not commonly used in clinical practice in the UK and, therefore, the submitted evidence does not indicate whether TAC is superior to the anthracycline-based regimens that are in common use (FEC or E-CMF). The indirect comparisons presented suggest that the economic case for TAC in comparison to current UK practice may not be proven. The manufacturer’s submission failed to record evidence of three serious adverse events in patients receiving docetaxel with doxorubicin or to mention the concern of the European Medicines Agency regarding TAC’s long-term adverse events. The guidance issued by NICE in June 2006 as a result of the STA states that docetaxel, when given concurrently with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (the TAC regimen), is recommended as an option for the adjuvant treatment of women with early nodepositive breast cancer.

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
S Griffin ◽  
G Dunn ◽  
S Palmer ◽  
K Macfarlane ◽  
S Brent ◽  
...  

This paper presents a summary of the evidence review group (ERG) report into the clinical and cost-effectiveness of paclitaxel in the management of early stage breast cancer based upon the manufacturer’s submission to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as part of the single technology appraisal (STA) process. The scope was not clearly defined in the manufacturer’s submission. Two of the three clinical trials included in the submission report showed that the addition of four cycles of paclitaxel to four cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC-P) resulted in modest improvements in the two end points of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The third unpublished study evaluating four cycles of AC followed by paclitaxel or docetaxel in breast cancer did not show any statistically significant differences in DFS or OS between any group. The economic evaluation of paclitaxel for adjuvant therapy in early breast cancer was based on two of the three trials submitted as clinical evidence and used a probabilistic Markov state-transition model. The measure of health benefit was quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and the model included direct costs using a UK NHS perspective. The primary analysis compared AC-P with four cycles of AC. The reported incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for this comparison was £4726 per additional QALY for AC-P compared with four cycles of AC. The submission did not include a systematic review for clinical or cost-effectiveness evidence. As a result, potentially relevant trials and previously published studies were omitted. The main comparator used did not represent standard care in the UK NHS and a large number of relevant comparators were omitted, including docetaxel. The manufacturer did not consider potentially important patient subgroups defined by baseline risk, and the cost-effectiveness result in the average overall patient population may conceal important variation between subgroups. Overall, although the economic model may have indicated that the addition of four cycles of paclitaxel to four cycles of AC may be cost-effective compared with providing four cycles of AC only, this comparison is not informative to current clinical practice in the UK NHS. In the context of this review it is not possible for the ERG to predict the cost-effectiveness of paclitaxel compared with more appropriate, and potentially more effective, relevant comparators. The guidance issued by NICE in July 2006 as a result of the STA states that paclitaxel is not recommended as an option for the adjuvant treatment of women with early node-positive breast cancer.


2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Marino ◽  
Carole Siani ◽  
Henri Roché ◽  
Jean-Paul Moatti ◽  

Objectives: The object of this study was to determine, taking into account uncertainty on cost and outcome parameters, the cost-effectiveness of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) compared with conventional chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer patients.Methods: An analysis was conducted for 300 patients included in a randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate the benefits, in terms of disease-free survival and overall survival, of adding a single course of HDC to a four-cycle conventional-dose chemotherapy for breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node invasion. Costs were estimated from a detailed observation of physical quantities consumed, and the Kaplan–Meier method was used to evaluate mean survival times. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were evaluated successively considering disease-free survival and overall survival outcomes. Handling of uncertainty consisted in construction of confidence intervals for these ratios, using the truncated Fieller method.Results: The cost per disease-free life year gained was evaluated at 13,074€, a value that seems to be acceptable to society. However, handling uncertainty shows that the upper bound of the confidence interval is around 38,000€, which is nearly three times higher. Moreover, as no difference was demonstrated in overall survival between treatments, cost-effectiveness analysis, that is a cost minimization, indicated that the intensive treatment is a dominated strategy involving an extra cost of 7,400€, for no added benefit.Conclusions: Adding a single course of HDC led to a clinical benefit in terms of disease-free survival for an additional cost that seems to be acceptable, considering the point estimate of the ratio. However, handling uncertainty indicates a maximum ratio for which conclusions have to be discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 172460082110111
Author(s):  
Erika Korobeinikova ◽  
Rasa Ugenskiene ◽  
Ruta Insodaite ◽  
Viktoras Rudzianskas ◽  
Jurgita Gudaitiene ◽  
...  

Background: Genetic variations in oxidative stress-related genes may alter the coded protein level and impact the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Methods: The current study investigated the associations of functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in the NFE2L2, HMOX1, P21, TXNRD2, and ATF3 genes with the early-stage breast cancer clinicopathological characteristics and disease-free survival, metastasis-free survival, and overall survival. A total of 202 Eastern European (Lithuanian) women with primary I–II stage breast cancer were involved. Genotyping of the single nucleotide polymorphisms was performed using TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyping assays. Results: The CA+AA genotypes of P21 rs1801270 were significantly less frequent in patients with lymph node metastasis and larger tumor size ( P=0.041 and P=0.022, respectively). The TT genotype in ATF3 rs3125289 had significantly lower risk of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) negative, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive status ( P=0.023, P=0.046, and P=0.040, respectively). In both, univariate and multivariate Cox analysis, TXNRD2 rs1139793 GG genotype vs. GA+AA was a negative prognostic factor for disease-free survival (multivariate hazard ratio (HR) 2.248; P=0.025) and overall survival (multivariate HR 2.248; P=0.029). The ATF3 rs11119982 CC genotype in the genotype model was a negative prognostic factor for disease-free survival (multivariate HR 5.878; P=0.006), metastasis-free survival (multivariate HR 4.759; P=0.018), and overall survival (multivariate HR 3.280; P=0.048). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that P21 rs1801270 is associated with lymph node metastasis and larger tumor size, and ATF3 rs3125289 is associated with ER, PR, and HER2 status. Two potential, novel, early-stage breast cancer survival biomarkers, TXNRD2 rs1139793 and ATF3 rs11119982, were detected. Further investigations are needed to confirm the results of the current study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 137-144
Author(s):  
Guillermo Peralta-Castillo ◽  
Antonio Maffuz-Aziz ◽  
Mariana Sierra-Murguía ◽  
Sergio Rodriguez-Cuevas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie-Yu Zhou ◽  
Kang-Kang Lu ◽  
Wei-Da Fu ◽  
Hao Shi ◽  
Jun-Wei Gu ◽  
...  

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease. Nomograms can predict prognosis of patients with TNBC. Methods: A total of 745 eligible TNBC patients were recruited and randomly divided into training and validation groups. Endpoints were disease-free survival and overall survival. Concordance index, area under the curve and calibration curves were used to analyze the predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of nomograms. Results: Based on the training cohort, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, positive lymph nodes, tumor size and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were used to construct a nomogram for disease-free survival. In addition, age was added to the overall survival nomogram. Conclusion: The current study developed and validated well-calibrated nomograms for predicting disease-free survival and overall survival in patients with TNBC.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. BCBCR.S40856 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sayed ◽  
A.M. Zahran ◽  
M.S.F. Hassan ◽  
D.O. Mohamed

Purpose Despite the therapeutic advances, disease recurrence remains an ever-present threat to the health and well-being of breast cancer survivors. Assessment of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) during and after treatment may be of value in refining treatment. Methods Three 5 mL blood samples were taken from each patient: the first, at diagnosis; the second, after completion of neoadjuvant anthracyclin-based chemotherapy; and the third, a month after surgery and completion of adjuvant radiotherapy. The absolute numbers of CTCs were identified as CD45-cytokeratin+ cells. CTCs per 5 mL of blood were determined by recording all events in the whole suspension. CSCs were identified as cytokeratin+CD44+CD24-/CD45- cells. The CSCs were expressed as a percentage of CTCs. Results Univariate analysis identified the measurements of baseline CTCs and CSCs, taken after chemotherapy and one month after the cessation of radiotherapy, as prognostic factors for both four-year disease-free survival and four-year overall survival. Multivariable analysis identified the third measurement of CSCs, taken one month after the completion of radiotherapy, as the only independent prognostic factor for the four-year disease-free survival (P < 0.002, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.231, 95% CI 1.077–1.407). The initial CTC measurement was the one factor that reached significance on multivariate analysis (P < 0.03, HR 1.969, 95% CI 1.092–3.551) for the four-year overall survival. Correlation was higher between CTC and CSC counts at diagnosis ( r = 0.654, P < 0.001) than after chemotherapy ( r = 0.317, P < 0.03), because of the more rapid decrease in the mean CTC count with chemotherapy. Conclusion The CTC count could be suitable as one of the measures for monitoring response to chemotherapy, while persistence of CSC after cessation of the treatment of nonmetastatic breast cancer, except hormonal therapy when indicated, may be a reason to consider additional therapy in the future. These findings need confirmation in larger randomized trials.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Ruhstaller ◽  
Anita Giobbie-Hurder ◽  
Marco Colleoni ◽  
Maj-Britt Jensen ◽  
Bent Ejlertsen ◽  
...  

Purpose Luminal breast cancer has a long natural history, with recurrences continuing beyond 10 years after diagnosis. We analyzed long-term follow-up (LTFU) of efficacy outcomes and adverse events in the Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 study reported after a median follow-up of 12.6 years. Patients and Methods BIG 1-98 is a four-arm, phase III, double-blind, randomized trial comparing adjuvant letrozole versus tamoxifen (either treatment received for 5 years) and their sequences (2 years of one treatment plus 3 years of the other) for postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer. When pharmaceutical company sponsorship ended at 8.4 years of median follow-up, academic partners initiated an observational, LTFU extension collecting annual data on survival, disease status, and adverse events. Information from Denmark was from the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group Registry. Intention-to-treat analyses are reported. Results Of 8,010 enrolled patients, 4,433 were alive and not withdrawn at an LTFU participating center, and 3,833 (86%) had at least one LTFU report. For the monotherapy comparison of letrozole versus tamoxifen, we found a 9% relative reduction in the hazard of a disease-free survival event with letrozole (hazard ratio [HR], 0.91; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.01). HRs for other efficacy end points were similar to those for disease-free survival. Efficacy of letrozole versus tamoxifen for contralateral breast cancer varied significantly over time (0- to 5-, 5- to 10-, and > 10-year HRs, 0.62, 0.47, and 1.35, respectively; treatment-by-time interaction P = .005), perhaps reflecting a longer carryover effect of tamoxifen. Reporting of specific long-term adverse events seemed more effective with national registry than with case-record reporting of clinical follow-up. Conclusion Efficacy end points continued to show trends favoring letrozole. Letrozole reduced contralateral breast cancer frequency in the first 10 years, but this reversed beyond 10 years. This study illustrates the value of extended follow-up in trials of luminal breast cancer.


2002 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 113-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano José Megale Costa ◽  
Paulo César Spotti Varella ◽  
Auro del Giglio

CONTEXT: Patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer have a tendency to gain weight. This tendency has determining factors not completely defined and an unknown prognostic impact. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate weight change during chemotherapy for breast cancer in a defined population and to identify its predisposing factors and possible prognostic significance. DESIGN: Observational, retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Private clinical oncology service. PARTICIPANTS: 106 consecutive patients with breast cancer treated between June 1994 and April 2000, who received neoadjuvant (n = 8), adjuvant (n = 74) or palliative (n = 24) chemotherapy. INTERVETION: Review of medical records and gathering of clinical information, including patients’ body weights before treatment and at follow-up reviews. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Body weight change, expressed as percentage of body weight per month in treatment; role of clinical data in weight change; and influence of weight change in overall survival and disease-free survival. RESULTS: There was a mean increase of 0.50 ± 1.42% (p = 0.21) of body weight per month of treatment. We noted a negative correlation between metastatic disease and weight gain (r = -0.447, p < 0.0001). In the adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy groups there was a mean weight gain of 0.91 ± 1.19 % (p < 0.00001) per month, whereas in the metastatic (palliative) group, we observed a mean loss of 0.52 ± 1.21% (p = 0.11) of body weight per month during the treatment. We did not observe any statistically significant correlation between weight changes and disease-free survival or overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy gain weight, whereas metastatic cancer patients will probably lose weight during palliative chemotherapy. Further studies are needed in order to evaluate the prognostic significance of weight changes during chemotherapy.


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