Background: In breast cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy is often prescribed as a precautionary measure and sometimes unnecessarily. A diagnostic test based on estimating the risk of recurrence at 10 years for women with breast cancer in early stage has been developed (Oncotype DX(®)).
Method: A Markov's model was adapted to evaluate the long-term effect of this test in terms of costs and life-years gained in French clinical practice for patients with ER+, HER2-, node-negative early-stage breast cancer. Input data were obtained from an international meta-analysis evaluating the proportions of patients in which the genetic test led to changes in the oncologist's decision. Costs and epidemiological data were specific to France. The analysis was conducted in accordance with methodological recommendations from the Haute Autorité de santé.
Results: The test is associated with net cost savings of €570 per patient (€1,600 with productivity loss) from societal perspective and gains of 0.15 life-years and 0.14 quality-adjusted life-years per patient.
Conclusions: The use of the test represents efficient use of health care resources in French practice. This test provides an opportunity to optimize treatment prescription by avoiding unnecessary chemotherapies and by prescribing chemotherapy to women who would not have received it based on standard decision criteria.