Purpose Previous studies suggest that adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) for patients with breast cancer is suboptimal, especially among minorities, and is associated with out-of-pocket medication costs. This study aimed to determine whether there are racial/ethnic differences in 1-year adherence to AET and whether out-of-pocket costs explain the racial/ethnic disparities in adherence. Methods This retrospective cohort study used the SEER-Medicare linked database to identify patients ≥ 65 years of age with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who were enrolled in Medicare Part D from 2007 to 2009. The cohort included non-Hispanic whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. Out-of-pocket costs for AET medications were standardized for a 30-day supply. Adherence to tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors (AIs), and overall AET (tamoxifen or AIs) was assessed using the medication possession ratio (≥ 80%) during the 12-month period. Results Of 8,688 patients, 3,197 (36.8%) were nonadherent to AET. Out-of-pocket costs for AET medication were associated with lower adjusted odds of adherence for all four cost categories compared with the lowest category of ≤ $2.65 ( P < .01). In the univariable analysis, Hispanics had higher odds of adherence to any AET at initiation (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.57), and blacks had higher odds of adherence to AIs at initiation (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.54) compared with non-Hispanic whites. After adjusting for copayments, poverty status, and comorbidities, the association was no longer significant for Hispanics (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.78 to 1.17) or blacks (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.19). Blacks had significantly lower adjusted odds of adherence than non-Hispanic whites when they initiated AET therapy with tamoxifen (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.93) after adjusting for socioeconomic, clinic, and prognostic factors. Conclusion Racial/ethnic disparities in AET adherence were largely explained by women's differences in socioeconomic status and out-of-pocket medication costs.

Purpose The study objective was to evaluate chemotherapy treatment patterns and incidence, cost, and resource utilization of febrile neutropenia-related hospitalization (FNH) in patients with breast cancer, lung cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), a large integrated delivery system. Methods Adults ≥18 years with any stage breast cancer, lung cancer, or NHL who initiated myelosuppressive chemotherapy from 01/01/2006 to 12/31/2009 were included. Chemotherapy dose delays ≥7 days, relative dose intensity (RDI), regimen switching, FNH and all-cause mortality, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and antibiotic use, and healthcare utilization/cost were evaluated by cancer type, regimen, and/or cycle. Results Among 3314 breast cancer patients, 25.3% received an RDI ≤85%, 13.9% experienced FNH with an all-cause mortality rate of 2.0%, and 20.2% received primary prophylaxis with G-CSF. Among those with FNH, mean hospital length of stay (LOS) was 4.1 days, and mean total costs were $20,462. Among 1443 lung cancer patients, 17.9% had an RDI ≤85%, 8.0% experienced FNH with an all-cause mortality rate of 25.2%, and 4.5% received primary prophylaxis with G-CSF. Among those with FNH, mean LOS was 6.8 days, and mean total costs were $32,964. Among 581 NHL patients, 27.9% had an RDI ≤85% and 22.4% experienced FNH with an all-cause mortality rate of 13%. Among those with FNH, mean LOS was 7.9 days, and mean total costs were $37,555. Conclusions Marked variability was observed among different cancer types and chemotherapy regimens. Given the variability, detailed insight into incidence, management, and burden of FN can help inform clinical decision making.

A substantial proportion of privately insured patients are nonadherent to AET and out-of-pocket costs for AET medication are significantly associated with a greater likelihood of nonadherence.

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