Adjuvant treatment for breast cancer assessment of the cost of the strategies

In this study a cost analysis of therapeutics in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer has been performed. Four strategies were considered: chemothe rapy (FEC, 6 courses), hormone therapy (tamoxifen, 20 mg/day during 3 years ), the association of chemotherapy and hormone therapy, or standard follow- up with neither chemotherapy and hormone therapy. The costs of these strate gies were analysed according to the payer's perspective (social security sy stem). In order to complete the economic data, specific investigations were performed at the Centre Oscar-Lambret (COL), a Cancer Center located in Li lle (France). The study shows a high cost for chemotherapy (63,767 FF at 5 years) and a high cost for the association (68,891 FF), in comparison to th e cost of hormone therapy alone (45,540 FF) or to the follow-up without adj uvant therapy (38,416 FF). These costs could be confronted to the efficacy data of these different strategies and to the cost of avoided relapses. Cos t-effectiveness and cost-benefit ratios of these adjuvant strategies could than be assessed.