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The Taxanes for Metastatic Breast Cancer: Total Cost of Care Considerations

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Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is a major public health concern, given its prevalence, poor prognosis, potential for serious complications, and profound impact on a woman’s health and quality of life. Despite improvements in survival in recent decades, MBC continues to impose a substantial clinical and economic burden on the US healthcare system and on society as a whole. Effective management of MBC is particularly relevant, given the variety and complexity of treatment pathways and the need for clinicians to make patientcustomized decisions. A multidisciplinary roundtable discussion was held on May 26, 2011, with the following objectives: (1) to discuss the increasingly important role of the taxanes in the treatment of MBC; (2) to identify gaps and barriers associated with access to the taxanes; and (3) to acquire input from experts on MBC treatment pathways and key cost considerations, with emphasis on the total medical costs of care. The roundtable experts shared their insights and knowledge about evolving trends and management approaches in the treatment of MBC across the continuum of care—from patient treatment to reimbursement. Participants included an academic oncologist, 2 community oncologists, a managed care medical director, a managed care pharmacist, and a practice manager.


OVERVIEW

Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD, FACP
Director, Breast Cancer Program
University of Pittsburgh
UPMC Cancer Center (ION)
Magee-Women’s Hospital/Women’s Cancer Center

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

Moderator:
Rex W. Force, PharmD, BCPS
Partner, ImproveRX, LLC
Professor, Vice-Chair, and Director of Research
Departments of Family Medicine and Pharmacy Practice
Idaho State University

Participants: 
Ronnie DePue, PharmD, CGP, FASCP
Catalyst Rx
Rockville, MD

Julie R. Gralow, MD
Director, Breast Medical Oncology
University of Washington-Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

Gary L. Johnson, MD, MS, MBA
Medical Director
Humana, Inc
Madison, WI

L. Wayne Keiser, MD
Redwood Regional Medical Group (USO)
Santa Rosa, CA

Robert J. Phelan, RPh
Chief Executive Officer
Integrated Community Oncology Network (ICON)
Jacksonville, FL

COST ANALYSIS

Rex W. Force, PharmD, BCPS

STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVE

Laura M. Urquhart, APRN, MS
Hematology/Oncology
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, NH


Participant Disclosure Statement
Dr Force is a Consultant for Celgene Pharmaceuticals and ICORE Healthcare and has received research grant support from Celgene Pharmaceuticals; Dr Gralow has received research grant support from Amgen, Novartis, and Roche; Dr Keiser is on the Speaker’s Bureau of Amgen, Alexion, Cephalon, Lilly, and Myriad Genetics; Mr Phelan is on the Speaker’s Bureau of Allos Therapeutics, AmerisourceBergen, and sanofi-aventis; Dr Brufsky, Dr Johnson, and Dr DePue have nothing to disclose.

This supplement has been supported by funding from Celgene.

Last modified: August 30, 2021