PCN4 Aromatase Inhibitors and Bisphosphonate Use in Postmenopausal Women with Hormone-Receptor Positive Breast Cancer in Hong Kong

Abstract

The number of PsO patients treated with biologics has steadily increased from 2014 (N=1,133) to 2018 (N=3,167). The increasing trend in biologics users was apparent in 2016 and 2018, which sparked an annual increase of 65% and 83% in total medical costs for biologics users respectively. The 5-year average of PsO medication costs per biologics users amounted to 8,237,266 KRW as opposed to non-biologics users' 225,607 KRW. Total medical costs for treating PsO for biologics users and nonbiologics users on average were 8,372,181 KRW and 377,396 KRW. The gap peaked in 2018 with biologics users' 9,218,123 KRW and non-biologics users' 300,931 KRW. In the next stage of our analysis, the costs per co-morbidities will be stratified. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that high health care costs were associated with PsO patients treated with biologics. Furthermore, among biologics users, the average total medical costs are higher among patients with specified comorbidities indicating additional incremental burden of healthcare spending in management of PsO with associated co-morbid conditions.