Access to Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Targeted Therapy at a Tertiary Care Center in India: An Evolution

PurposeIn a previous retrospective audit from our institution, access to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) –targeted therapy (H2T) in patients registered and treated in 2008 was reported, wherein only 38 (8.61%) of 441 patients received some form of H2T. Three developments occurred in subsequent years that potentially affected access to H2T at our institution—that is, a patient access program supported by the innovator pharmaceutical company, a generous philanthropic donor, and the use of biosimilars.MethodsTo evaluate the cumulative impact of these developments on access to trastuzumab, we reviewed access to H2T in a recent cohort of patients with breast cancer registered in at our institution.ResultsIn 2016, 4,717 new patients with breast cancer were registered at our institution. Among these patients, HER2 3+ expression by immunohistochemistry or fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was reported in 828 patients (22.77%). Assuming the same 33.22% amplification rate in the 343 patients ...