Abstract P1-17-10: Survival outcomes related to health care coverage in breast cancer patients with brain metastases in Brazil: A sub-analysis from the LACOG-0312 study
Authors: Albuquerque C , Debiasi M , Werutsky G , Uema D , Cronenberger E , Cordeiro de Lima VC , de Sant'ana RO , Bines J , Santi PX , Goés RS , Liedke P , Batista MLM , Dybal V , Nerón YV , Beato CA , Borges G , Giacomazzi J , dos Santos LV , Ismael G , Rosa DD , Azambuja A , Andrade D , Martinez-Mesa J , Zaffaroni F , Barrios CH 
Published: February 2018

Background

The incidence of brain metastases among women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) ranges from 10 to 30% depending of breast cancer (BC) subtype. Inequities in the access to optimal treatment and shorter survival of BC by type of health care coverage were previously reported in an observational study in Brazil. The present analysis aims to analyze the impact of the type of health care coverage on survival outcomes of patients with MBC and brain involvement.

Methods

LACOG-0312 is a retrospective cohort study that enrolled patients with metastatic or locally advanced/recurrent unresectable BC diagnosed during 2012 in Brazil. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from the diagnosis of brain metastases and death from any cause. Comparisons were made using the Kaplan-Meier method based on the type of health care coverage (public vs. private) among patients who developed brain metastases. Cox regression analysis was performed for identification of independent prognostic factors associated with survival after brain metastases diagnosis.

Results

Among the 690 MBC patients included in the LACOG-0312 study, 145 (21%) were diagnosed with brain metastases. Of them, 94 (71,75%) were covered by the Brazilian public health care and 37 (28,25%) had private coverage. Baseline characteristics such as age at MBC diagnosis, stage IV at diagnosis and tumor subtypes were similar between both groups.

Median time to develop brain metastases after diagnosis of MBC was 14 months in the whole population with no differences between public and private patients (13 vs. 17 months p=0.172).

Median OS from the date of brain metastases diagnosis was similar for both groups: 10.0 months in private and 9.0 months in public health insured patients (HR 0.92 – 95%CI 0.55-1.51; p=0.729). In a multivariable analysis including type of health care coverage, only the triple negative BC subtype was associated with a worse survival post brain metastases diagnosis.

Conclusion

Our study indicates that health care coverage is not associated with survival outcomes in patients with MBC and brain metastases. Potential differences in the access to optimal care such as radiotherapy, surgery and systemic treatments may not play a significant role in the survival of theses patients possibly due to small clinical benefit of the current treatment options for brain metastases in breast cancer.

Citation Format: Albuquerque C, Debiasi M, Werutsky G, Uema D, Cronenberger E, Cordeiro de Lima VC, de Sant'ana RO, Bines J, Santi PX, Goés RS, Liedke P, Batista MLM, Dybal V, Nerón YV, Beato CA, Borges G, Giacomazzi J, dos Santos LV, Ismael G, Rosa DD, Azambuja A, Andrade D, Martinez-Mesa J, Zaffaroni F, Barrios CH. Survival outcomes related to health care coverage in breast cancer patients with brain metastases in Brazil: A sub-analysis from the LACOG-0312 study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-17-10.