OBJECTIVES: Real world data is crucial to properly develop and populate pharmacoeconomic models. In contrast, in several countries lack of precise cost information availability still leads to some uncertainties in pharmacoeconomic models. Specifically in Brazil, cost estimations through procedure pricing tables are the most commonly adopted strategy to overcome lack of data availability, especially in the private healthcare setting, in which data are scarcer. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe costs of cancer treatment and supportive care infusion of drugs used in breast cancer treatment in a cancer clinic of the private healthcare setting.

METHODS: We reviewed the claims of cancer treatment and supportive care infusions in breast cancer patients treated in UNICA clinic (private clinic from São Paulo, Brazil) from 2014-2018. After identifying breast cancer patients, we descriptively evaluated infusions per drug. Data were summarized by median (minimum -maximum). Conversion rate: 1 USD= 3.2324BRL

RESULTS: We identified 343 infusions in the period, with median value of 2,928.1 BRL (266.5-27,689.3) per infusion and total cost of 1,511,652.9 BRL (467,656.5 USD). Letrozole, (n=48, median=983.9 BRL/infusion (454.9-1,251.2)), Zoledronic Acid (n=46, median = 2,261.5 BRL/infusion [1,157.9-6,854.7]), Capecitabine (n=38, median= 3,174.4 BRL/infusion [2,262.7-4,055.2], Paclitaxel (n=30, median= 8,579.2 BRL/infusion [1,498.8-11,377.7]), and Gemcitabine (n=26, median= 8,579.2 BRL/infusion [1,498.8-11,377.7]) were the most commonly observed cancer treatment and supportive care infusions. The costliest infusion therapy in this study was trastuzumab (n=18) with median of 20,814.5 BRL (14,299.8-27,689.3) per infusion.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides novel information regarding infusion costs in a private clinic in Brazil. This data may improve the quality and information accuracy of novel pharmacoeconomic models for breast cancer in the Brazilian private setting. Considering that new technologies will soon be available in Brazil, data from this study can help to improve decision making process in the country, by providing information for pharmacoeconomic studies.