Demographic Characteristics and Treatment Patterns Among Patients Receiving Palbociclib for HR+/HER2- Advanced Breast Cancer: A Nationwide Real-World Experience.

BACKGROUND

This nationwide retrospective study reports data on the real-world use of the selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor palbociclib in a large population of advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients during a 2-year period in Hungary.

METHODS

All patients with ABC who received palbociclib between May 1, 2017 and June 30, 2019 were included in the analysis. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics, disease-related factors and treatment patterns were examined during the early access program and in the regular reimbursement period.

RESULTS

Altogether, 962 patients were included (mean age: 60.6 years). A total of 399 patients (41%) were treated with palbociclib plus aromatase inhibitors (P+AI), and 563 patients (59%) received palbociclib and fulvestrant (P+F). The most commonly prescribed AI was letrozole (n=359; 90%). Of those with metastatic disease (n=733; 76%), 241 patients (33%) had visceral metastases and 449 (61%) had bone-only disease. The majority of patients (79%) received palbociclib as first- or second-line therapy for ABC. The starting dose of palbociclib was 125 mg in 98% of patients; dose reductions were required in 32% of patients receiving P+AI and 31% of those treated with P+F. At the time of data collection, palbociclib therapy was ongoing in 270 patients (68%) in the P+AI group and 245 patients (44%) in the P+F group.

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide analysis is the first to provide insights into the real-world use of palbociclib in a large patient population from a Central-Eastern European country. The findings confirm the good tolerability of palbociclib with similar dose reduction rates to those reported from registration trials.

Informations de copyright

© 2021 Boér et al.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Katalin Boér has been a consultant or on the advisory board for Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and Roche. György Rokszin and Zsolt Abonyi-Tóth are employees of RxTarget Ltd., where their contribution to this study analysis was financially compensated by Pfizer Hungary Ltd. During the writing of the manuscript Csenge Földesi was employee of and owned stock in Pfizer Inc. Magdolna Dank has been a consultant or on the advisory board for Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer and Roche. Gábor Rubovszky had consulting or lecturer fee from Amgen, Eli Lilly, MDS, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, SWIXX. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.