Estimation of an optimal chemotherapy utilisation rate for breast cancer: setting an evidence-based benchmark for the best-quality cancer care.

BACKGROUND: The proportion of breast cancer patients that received chemotherapy varies widely in high-income countries. An evidence-based estimate of the optimal chemotherapy utilisation rate for a breast cancer population may serve as a useful benchmark for measuring and improving the quality of care.
METHODS: An optimal chemotherapy utilisation model was constructed using indications for chemotherapy identified from evidence-based guidelines. Data on the proportion of patient (age, performance status and preference) and tumour (stage, size, grade, nodal status, hormone receptor and HER2 status) attributes were obtained and merged with the treatment indications to calculate an optimal utilisation rate. This model was peer-reviewed by a panel of independent experts.
RESULTS: Chemotherapy was indicated in 17 of the 24 possible clinical scenarios depicted in the optimal utilisation model. The estimated optimal proportion of breast cancer patients who should received chemotherapy at least once was 68%. Sensitivity analyses showed that the range of optimal rate was 60-69%. The optimal rate appears to be substantially higher than the reported actual rates (29-49%).
CONCLUSION: It is possible to generate an optimal chemotherapy utilisation rate in breast cancer to serve as an evidence-based benchmark. The optimal chemotherapy utilisation rate in breast cancer has remained largely unchanged over the past 15years. The reported actual utilisation rates of chemotherapy in breast cancer populations appear to have remained below the estimated optimal rate, suggesting that potential opportunities for improvement in the compliance to guideline recommended care exist. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.