Pathum raksa project: Addressing disparity in breast cancer care through national innovation in Thailand

Abstract

Purpose: Breast cancer is a growing public health challenge in Thailand. Pathum Raksa project was launched in 2015, as a result of higher than expected rate of triple-negative breast cancers in Thai women. The purpose of this project was to identify the cause(s) and address the issue(s), hence improving the quality of breast cancer biomarker testing in Thailand. Materials and Methods: Nineteen hospitals across the country, with 902 breast cancer patients were enrolled in this study during 2015–2020. The pre-and post-data from Pathum Raksa initiative was only available for Khon Kaen University (KKU) and Udonthani hospitals in Northeast Thailand. We developed a resource-stratified strategic plan that included designing a unique specimen container, forming multidisciplinary teams from the Surgery and Pathology Departments, and employing locally developed innovative technologies to optimize the entire process of breast cancer diagnostics and biomarker testing. Results: The rate of triple-negative breast cancers in KKU and Udonthani decreased 52.8% (p = 0.02) and 28.9% (p = 0.48), respectively. The rate of ER+ breast cancers in both hospitals increased 5% post-Pathum Raksa implementation. The rate of HER2-neu+ (score 3+) also increased in both hospitals (particularly an increased 65% rate in KKU). Luminal A/B cancers were the most common subtype in both KKU and Udonthani hospitals. Conclusion: Pathum Raksa project has significantly improved breast cancer biomarker testing in Thailand. As a result of this national innovation, false-negative rates of breast biomarkers have significantly decreased, resulting in improving prognosis, treatment, and survival of breast cancer women in Thailand.