TITLE:
Subcutaneous Trastuzumab (Herceptin®): A UK Time and Motion Study in Comparison with Intravenous Formulation for the Treatment of Patients with HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer
AUTHORS:
Russell Burcombe, Steve Chan, Richard Simcock, Kunal Samanta, Fran Percival, Peter Barrett-Lee
KEYWORDS:
Trastuzumab; Breast Neoplasms; Administration Subcutaneous; Administration Intravenous
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Breast Cancer Research,
Vol.2 No.4,
September
9,
2013
ABSTRACT: Aim: Firstly, to quantify active healthcare professional (HCP)
time and costs associated with subcutaneous (SC) administration of trastuzumab (Herceptin?) compared with the standard
intravenous infusion (IV) in the treatment of patients with HER2-positive early
breast cancer within the adjuvant PrefHer trial setting; secondly, to measure
patient time in the care unit and patient infusion chair time for both routes
of administration. Methods: A UK
multi-centre prospective, observational Time and Motion study was conducted
alongside the PrefHer trial (ClinicalTrials.gov id: NCT01401166). Trained
observers measured the duration of each SC and IV related task that HCPs
undertook and recorded patient time in the chemotherapy unit and infusion
chair. The type and quantity of medical consumables used with each route of
administration were also collected. Twenty-four patient
episodes were recorded (12 SC, 12 IV). Mean total administration time was
calculated as the mean sum of task times, both for IV and SC formulations. The
mean cost of each route of administration was calculated as the mean cost of
HCP time plus the mean cost of consumables used. HCP time was costed using
Personal Social Services Research Unit. Consumables were costed using hospital
pharmacy data and online sources. Results: Mean active HCP time for IV administration was 92.6 minutes compared with 24.6
minutes for SC administration. The mean cost for IV preparation and
administration was ￡144.96 (￡132.05 of HCP time and ￡12.92 of consumables)
versus ￡33.15 (￡31.99 of HCP time and ￡1.17 of consumables) for SC administration.
Mean time spent in the care unit and in the infusion chair was 94.5 minutes and
75 minutes respectively for IV, and 30.3 minutes and 19.8 minutes for SC. SC
administration of trastuzumab could translate to a time saving of 68 minutes
(versus IV) with a total cost saving of ￡111.81 per patient episode. This
equates to a potential saving of ￡2012.58 over a full course of adjuvant
treatment (18 cycles). Conclusion: Substituting IV infusion with SC administration of trastuzumab may lead to a
substantial reduction in active HCP time, patient chair and unit time, consumable
use and overall costs. The reduced patient chair and unit time could provide
increased capacity within existing resources.