UC Davis

Background

Treatment-related toxicity can vary substantially between chemotherapy regimens. In this study we evaluated the frequency of outpatient office visits among a cohort of early stage breast cancer survivors after completion of 4 different adjuvant chemotherapy regimens to better understand how differences in toxicities between regimens might affect health care use.

Materials and methods

We analyzed administrative claims data from a US commercial insurance database (OptumLabs) to identify women who received adjuvant doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC), AC followed or preceded by docetaxel or paclitaxel (AC-T), AC concurrent with docetaxel or paclitaxel (TAC), or docetaxel/cyclophosphamide (TC) between 2008 and 2014. We compared mean numbers of visits per patient (adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, region, year, surgery type, radiation, chronic conditions, and previous hospitalizations) across the different regimens (TC = reference) for 12 months, starting 4 months after the end of chemotherapy.

Results

In 6247 eligible patients, the mean adjusted number of outpatient visits per patient was significantly higher in patients who received AC-T (8.1) or TAC (7.3) than TC (6.5) or AC (6.0; P < .001 for comparisons of AC-T and TAC with TC), primarily because of differences in Medical Oncology visits. Approximately 40% did not see a primary care provider at all during this time frame.

Conclusions

AC-T and TAC are associated with more subsequent outpatient visits than TC. Visits to primary care providers are infrequent during the year after completion of chemotherapy.