title: Cost-effectiveness of a 21-gene recurrence score assay versus Canadian clinical practice in women with early-stage estrogen- or progesterone-receptor-positive, axillary lymph-node negative breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A 21-gene recurrence score (RS) assay may inform adjuvant systematic treatment decisions in women with early stage breast cancer. We sought to investigate the cost effectiveness of using the RS-assay versus current clinical practice (CCP) in women with early-stage estrogen- or progesterone-receptor-positive, axilliary lymph-node negative breast cancer (ER+/ PR + LN- ESBC) from the perspective of the Canadian public healthcare system.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a Markov model to project the lifetime clinical and economic consequences of ESBC. We evaluated adjuvant therapy separately in post- and pre-menopausal women with ER+/ PR + LN- ESBC. We assumed that the RS-assay would reclassify pre- and post-menopausal women among risk levels (low, intermediate and high) and guide adjuvant systematic treatment decisions. The model was parameterized using 7 year follow up data from the Manitoba Cancer Registry, cost data from Manitoba administrative databases, and secondary sources. Costs are presented in 2010 CAD. Future costs and benefits were discounted at 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RS-assay compared to CCP generated cost-savings in pre-menopausal women and had an ICER of $60,000 per QALY gained in post-menopausal women. The cost effectiveness was most sensitive to the proportion of women classified as intermediate risk by the RS-assay who receive adjuvant chemotherapy and the risk of relapse in the RS-assay model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RS-assay is likely to be cost effective in the Canadian healthcare system and should be considered for adoption in women with ER+/ PR + LN- ESBC. However, ongoing assessment and validation of the assay in real-world clinical practice is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: Malek B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Hannouf
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brackstone
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Zaric
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D002170:Canada; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008390:Markov Chains; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone