Trends in Epidemiology and Mortality of Patients With Breast Cancer in Germany: A Retrospective Study Using German Claims Data

Speaker(s)

Mevius A1, Müller S2, Dornig S3, Wilke T4
1Institut für Pharmakoökonomie und Arzneimittellogistik (IPAM), Wismar, MV, Germany, 2GIPAM GmbH, Wismar, MV, Germany, 3AOK PLUS, Jena, Germany, 4Institut für Pharmakoökonomie und Arzneimittellogistik (IPAM), Wismar, Germany

Presentation Documents

OBJECTIVES: Despite progress in the early detection and treatment of early and late breast cancer (BC), it remains one of the most frequent cancer diagnoses in women, associated with substantial mortality in late stages. This research aims to estimate the incidence/prevalence of BC in Germany and to describe trends in mortality in the last ten years.

METHODS: Utilizing claims data from AOK PLUS (German sickness fund with 3.5 million insured persons), BC cases were identified by outpatient and inpatient diagnoses (ICD-10-GM: C50). Cumulative BC incidence in 2012/2016/2022 and point prevalence on January 1st of the following year were assessed and extrapolated (age-/gender-standardized) to the overall German population. Standardized mortality rates for 2012/2016/2022 were evaluated in cross-sectional BC samples.

RESULTS: Age- and gender-standardized German BC incidence and prevalence in 2012/2016/2022 were 0.099%/0.096%/0.097% and 0.825%/0.941%/1.034%, respectively. Among women only, respective numbers were 0.192%/0.189%/0.186% and 1.604%/1.843%/2.022%. Based on a German population of 83.3 million persons, this translates into 79,968 incident BC cases in the year 2022 and 861,322 BC-prevalent patients on January 1, 2023. Yearly mortality in the extrapolated prevalent GER CC population decreased slightly, with mortality rates of 4.0% in 2012, 3.7% in 2016, and 3.9% in 2022; mortality rates in women only were almost identical.

CONCLUSIONS: BC incidence and prevalence estimates based on claims data are much higher than in the official German RKI (Robert Koch Institute) statistics, probably due to a certain degree of overreporting in claims data, but mainly due to missed cases in the cancer registries resulting from underreporting in outpatient and inpatient practices. Reports from inpatient and outpatient oncology sites form the basis of the RKI statistics. Mortality in BC-prevalent patients remained practically on the same level. Combined with an increasing prevalence of BC, this indicates an increased health system burden associated with BC.

Code

EPH166

Topic

Epidemiology & Public Health

Disease

No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, Oncology