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REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Drugs Outcomes Research and Policies
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1338546
This article is part of the Research Topic Women in Drugs Outcomes Research and Policies: 2023 View all 11 articles

The burden of systemic therapy administration route in treating HER2-positive breast cancer (for patients, healthcare professionals, and healthcare system): a systematic literature review

Provisionally accepted
Luciana C. Landeiro Luciana C. Landeiro 1*Tamie d. Martins Tamie d. Martins 2*Ruth B. Grigolon Ruth B. Grigolon 3Isabel Monteiro Isabel Monteiro 2*Joana B. Balardin Joana B. Balardin 4*Eduardo Padilha Eduardo Padilha 2Gilberto Amorim Gilberto Amorim 5Stephen Stefani Stephen Stefani 6*
  • 1 Oncoclinicas Group, São Paulo, Brazil
  • 2 Roche Brazil, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
  • 3 Oracle (United States), Redwood Shores, United States
  • 4 Oracle Brazil, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
  • 5 D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • 6 Núcleo de Avaliações de Tecnologias, UNIMED, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the leading causes of cancer and is the first cause of death from malignant tumors among women worldwide. New cancer therapies receive regulatory approval yearly and to avoid health disparities in society, the health systems are challenged to adapt their infrastructure, methodologies, and reimbursement policies to allow broad access to these treatments. In addition, listening to patients' voices about their therapy preferences is essential. We aim to investigate the administration route preferences (subcutaneous [SC] or intravenous [IV]) among patients diagnosed with HER2 positive BC and healthcare professionals (HCPs) and to investigate healthcare resources utilization (quality and quantity) for each route of administration (SC or IV) for treating those patients. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review focused on clinical trials and observational and economic studies, using PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) databases based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Results: The literature review included 25 studies in the analysis. Studies have reported that patients and HCPs prefer the SC route of administration to IV because it saves time in terms of chair time, administration, and preparation and is less painful. In addition, SC administration might be a more cost-saving option when analyzing direct and indirect costs. Discussion: As BC stands as a significant global health concern and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide, understanding and incorporating patient and HCPs preferences in the choice of administration route become paramount. The observed preference for SC administration not only aligns with the imperative of adapting health systems to facilitate broad access to new cancer therapies but also underscores the importance of considering Código de campo alterado 2 patient experiences and economic implications in shaping treatment strategies. These insights are crucial for healthcare policymakers, clinicians, and stakeholders in optimizing healthcare resources and enhancing the overall quality of BC care.

    Keywords: HER2, breast cancer, trastuzumab, Pertuzumab, Subcutaneous administration, intravenous administration

    Received: 14 Nov 2023; Accepted: 31 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Landeiro, Martins, Grigolon, Monteiro, Balardin, Padilha, Amorim and Stefani. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Luciana C. Landeiro, Oncoclinicas Group, São Paulo, Brazil
    Tamie d. Martins, Roche Brazil, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
    Isabel Monteiro, Roche Brazil, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
    Joana B. Balardin, Oracle Brazil, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
    Stephen Stefani, Núcleo de Avaliações de Tecnologias, UNIMED, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.