title: Cost-effectiveness of 21-gene assay in node-positive, early-stage breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess impact on health outcomes and healthcare expenditures of adopting a 21-gene assay for women with early-stage, minimally node-positive, estrogen receptor-positive (N (1-3)/ER) HER2-negative breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We adapted a deterministic decision-analytic model to estimate costs and quality-of-life outcomes associated with chemotherapy, adverse events, supportive care, recurrence, and second primary cancers for usual care compared with care determined by the 21-gene assay recurrence score, where 71% and 54% of women, respectively, were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Model input data were based on national statistics, published literature, physician surveys, and Medicare Part B prices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Annual numbers of events were multiplied by quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) lost and costs to estimate net health and economic impacts of each strategy. Analyses were from a managed care payer perspective for the US population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients receiving the assay were predicted to gain 0.127 QALY and save $4359 annually from avoiding chemotherapy, adverse events, supportive care, and secondary primary tumors. For a 2-million member plan, net gains were 4.44 QALYs/year and savings were $13,476/year. Cost savings were greater for the Medicare population. Although overall results were sensitive only to reduced impact of testing and chemotherapy costs, they were still highly cost-effective (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio <$20,000/QALY).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of a 21-gene assay in patients with early-stage N (1-3)/ER HER2-negative breast cancer may improve health outcomes and add no incremental cost, thereby providing valuable insight for health plans, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and clinicians regarding coverage policies and treatment decisions.
authors.affiliation: Partnership for Health Analytic Research, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, USA.
authors.forename: Burton F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Vanderlaan
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Broder
authors.forename: Eunice Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oratz
authors.forename: Tanya G K
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Bentley
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011788:Quality of Life; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States