Cost‑Benefit of Trastuzumab Before Surgery in HER2 Breast Cancer

Breast cancer rates keep climbing worldwide, yet death numbers are falling thanks to smarter drugs. One of the toughest types shows too much HER2 protein, about 15% of all cases. Doctors usually give the drug Trastuzumab after surgery to fight any remaining cancer cells. More and more patients are now receiving it before surgery, hoping to shrink the tumor first. This shift raises a new question: how does giving Trastuzumab before surgery affect money and patient health? A study looked at three ways to use the drug: only before surgery, only after surgery, or both. The goal was to see which plan gives the best mix of health benefits and cost savings. The researchers compared how many patients reached a complete tumor response, the side‑effect rates, and the total treatment cost for each plan. They also examined long‑term outcomes like survival and quality of life. By combining clinical data with financial figures, they produced a clear picture of cost‑effectiveness.Their findings suggest that using Trastuzumab only before surgery can be a good choice for many patients. It lowers the chance of cancer returning while keeping costs lower than the combined approach. However, for some high‑risk patients, giving it both before and after surgery may still be worth the extra expense because of better survival rates. Health planners can use this information to decide how to allocate limited resources. If a hospital wants to treat more patients without overspending, it might favor the pre‑surgery only option. If a patient’s cancer is aggressive, the combined plan could be justified. Overall, this study shows that where and when a drug is used matters as much as the drug itself. By weighing health outcomes against costs, doctors and policymakers can make smarter choices that benefit patients and the system alike.