Real World Patient Journey and Healthcare Resource Utilization of HR+/HER2- Breast Cancer Patients in the Brazilian Private Healthcare System

OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer (BC) represents the most prevalent cancer among Brazilian women, with notable mortality rates and economic impacts. The most common subtype in Brazil is hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-negative. This study focuses on understanding the economic burden, patient journey, and treatment patterns of this subtype in the Brazilian private healthcare system.

METHODS: This observational, retrospective database study analyzes HR+/HER2- breast cancer patient management within the Brazilian private healthcare system. In the study were included patients with a medical record of breast cancer (ICD-10 code C50) from January 2017 to April 2023, diagnosed as HR-positive, HER2-negative, and treated within the private healthcare system. Data is derived from the iHealth Group, which extracted using a NLP model and applied to various providers and institutions. Descriptive statistics were applied for continuous and categorical variables.

RESULTS: The study included a total of 5,330 patients, with a mean age of 57.66 years. Most patients were treated in the Southeast region of Brazil (66.65%), reflecting the distribution of private healthcare facilities. Patients had on average, 30.36 (SD 20.07) visits to health facilities during treatment. A total of 4,130 (77.49%) of patients underwent surgery, from those, 70.0% received chemotherapy and 88.2% underwent radiation therapy. Hormonal therapy was administered to 91.8% of patients. Notably, patients who started the treatment at early stages (I and II) had more surgeries than later stages (III and IV), 81.48% vs 75.27%, respectively. However, early stages patients had less mastectomy when compared to later stages (26% vs. 36%).

CONCLUSIONS: This study has successfully provided a detailed overview of the journey and health burden impact of HR+/HER2- breast cancer patients within Brazil's private healthcare system. Our findings offer crucial insights into the treatment patterns, resource utilization, and associated burden of managing HR+/HER2- breast cancer in a private healthcare context.