‘It’s unknown whether treatment increases survival,’ AP wisely notes about new breast cancer drug

Does the story adequately discuss the costs of the intervention?

Satisfactory

The story says Lynparza “will cost $13,886 per month without insurance, according to AstraZeneca.” It mentions that the manufacturer is offering financial assistance to pay for it.

However, the story does not compare the cost to other treatments or address the question of whether insurance companies are expected to cover it, which are important questions now that the drug has been approved for use in breast cancer patients. Many patients with metastatic disease worry about reaching their lifetime insurance caps.

AstraZeneca also does not specify whether the financial assistance that will be provided will cover the full cost or some percentage of the cost, and how the degree of financial assistance provided will be determined.

Does the story adequately quantify the benefits of the treatment/test/product/procedure?

Satisfactory

The story says Lynparza “modestly delayed the time until cancer worsened — 7 months versus 4 months for women given one of three commonly used chemotherapies. About half the study participants responded to Lynparza compared with about a quarter of those only treated with chemotherapy. It’s unknown whether treatment increases survival.”

The story could have emphasized that last point more strongly. The outcome that was studied, known as progression-free survival, is a surrogate marker. In fact, the drug claims no benefit in terms of the most vital outcome: extending survival.

Does the story adequately explain/quantify the harms of the intervention?

Satisfactory

The story states: “Possible side effects are less severe than for chemotherapy, but serious problems can include blood and bone marrow cancers. Common side effects include nausea, fatigue, respiratory infections and blood count problems.”

Although this would be a rare concern, the FDA also says: “Lynparza can cause harm to a developing fetus; women should be advised of the potential risk to the fetus and to use effective contraception. Women taking Lynparza should not breastfeed as it could cause harm to a newborn baby.”

Does the story commit disease-mongering?

Satisfactory

The story does not engage in disease-mongering. However, it could have been more clear in conveying the number of breast cancer patients who might be candidates for this drug. It states:

“About 250,000 people each year are diagnosed with breast cancer and just over 40,000 die from it, according to the National Cancer Institute. About 20 percent to 25 percent of patients with hereditary [emphasis added by us] breast cancers have a BRCA mutation. BRCA-related breast cancer often strikes younger people and is harder to treat than other breast cancers.”

The story doesn’t say how many people diagnosed with breast cancer actually have a BRCA mutation. According to ASCO, “Up to 3% of all breast cancers occur in people with inherited changes in genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.”

Does the story compare the new approach with existing alternatives?

Satisfactory

The story just briefly mentions the alternatives–chemotherapy.

Does the story establish the true novelty of the approach?

Satisfactory

The story describes this as “the first drug aimed at women with advanced breast cancer caused by an inherited flawed gene” and “the first in a new class of medicines called PARP inhibitors to be approved for breast cancer.”