scholarly journals Improving Access and Adherence to Endocrine Therapy With Nurse-Based Intervention

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 3) ◽  
pp. 15s-15s
Author(s):  
Sefonias Getachew ◽  
Adamu Addisse ◽  
Lesley Taylor ◽  
Eva J. Kantelhardt
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Nursing Intervention ◽  
Tamoxifen Therapy ◽  
Rural Ethiopia ◽  
Long Term Treatment ◽  
Nurse Navigator ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The majority of women with breast cancer from low-income countries, including Ethiopia, present with advanced clinical stage disease, which results in limited and difficult therapeutic options and high mortality rates. In Ethiopia, breast cancer is the most common cancer. We found that 70% of breast cancer cases in Ethiopia are hormone receptor positive. Endocrine therapy is one of the treatment options recommended for breast cancer but that is highly underutilized in the country. Recommendations on interventions to improve uptake and adherence to therapy exist, but studies that have assessed the feasibility of implementing these are limited. Our study (n = 107) in rural Ethiopia revealed an estimated 53% 2-year survival rate in patients who underwent surgery only. In our pilot study, of 51 eligible patients 26 initiated therapy and one half of those adhered after 1 year. Our study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of using a trained breast nurse navigator to improve patient adherence to tamoxifen therapy among patients with breast cancer in rural Ethiopia. Methods A cluster randomized intervention trial is being carried out in rural hospitals in southwestern Ethiopia from February 2018 to June 2019. We use hospitals in clusters as the units of randomization. The sample size includes four per intervention arm and control arm, with each cluster comprised of approximately 15 patients. Before intervention, all patients in the hospitals will receive tamoxifen therapy free of charge. Hormone receptor status of the breast cancer specimen will be determined before the initiation of therapy or throughout the course of therapy. The primary outcome of this trial is adherence to endocrine therapy on the basis of objective and subjective measures. Data will be collected with a prospective repeated measures approach. Analysis will be based on an intention-to-treat principle. Results The trial aims to provide evidence on the effectiveness of the breast nurse intervention to improve adherence to long-term endocrine therapy and answer the following research question: does the nursing intervention improve long-term treatment adherence by patients to endocrine therapy compared with those who receive usual care services? Conclusion These data are essential to maximize the impact of trained nurse-based interventions on adherence to endocrine (tamoxifen) therapy among patients with breast cancer on follow-up. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The following represents disclosure information provided by authors of this manuscript. All relationships are considered compensated. Relationships are self-held unless noted. I = Immediate Family Member, Inst = My Institution. Relationships may not relate to the subject matter of this manuscript. For more information about ASCO's conflict of interest policy, please refer to www.asco.org/rwc or ascopubs.org/jco/site/ifc . Eva J. Kantelhardt Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Daiichi Sankyo Oncology Europe

The Optimal Duration and Selection of Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer: How Long Is Enough?

2014 ◽  
pp. e16-e24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian E. Smith ◽  
Belinda Yeo ◽  
Gaia Schiavon
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Prognostic Significance ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Late Recurrence ◽  
Term Treatment ◽  
Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Risk Of Recurrence ◽  
Long Term Treatment

Women with estrogen receptor (ER)+ early breast cancer (BC) are at continuing risk of relapse up to at least 15 years after diagnosis, despite being on adjuvant endocrine therapy for approximately 5 years. Extended adjuvant endocrine therapy with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) after 5 years of tamoxifen further reduces the risk of recurrence in postmenopausal women. More recently, continuing tamoxifen for 10 years has also been shown to further reduce the risk of recurrence compared with 5 years. There are no direct comparative data on the relative merits of extended tamoxifen compared with an AI; indirect evidence suggests that an AI may have increased efficacy but a greater adverse effect on quality of life. Results are awaited on the need for continuing front-line adjuvant AIs for more than 5 years. The next challenge is to determine which patients will benefit from this long-term treatment. Currently, tumor size, nodal involvement, and gene expression profile as measured by the PAM50 Risk of Recurrence (ROR) score have all been shown to have prognostic significance for late recurrence beyond 5 years.

scholarly journals Adherence to Newly Implemented Tamoxifen Therapy for Breast Cancer Patients in Rural Western Ethiopia

Breast Care ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Christian Felix Reibold ◽  
Wakuma Tariku ◽  
Pia Eber-Schulz ◽  
Sefonias Getachew ◽  
Adamu Addisie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Tamoxifen Therapy ◽  
Financial Hardship ◽  
Tamoxifen Treatment ◽  
Endocrine Treatment ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Rural Ethiopia ◽  
Western Ethiopia

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Endocrine therapy for breast cancer (BC) patients is highly underutilized in rural Ethiopia and other African countries. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> This study aims to assess the feasibility of and adherence to tamoxifen therapy in rural Ethiopia. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We ascertained the hormone receptor (HR) status in 101 women diagnosed with BC from January 2010 to December 2015 and who had surgery in Aira Hospital, in rural Ethiopia. From 2013, tamoxifen was offered to patients with HR-positive (HR+) tumors. Prescription refill records and a structured questionnaire were used to assess receipt of and adherence to tamoxifen. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of the 101 BC patients tested for HR status during the study period, 66 (65%) patients were HR+ and were eligible for tamoxifen treatment. However, 15 of the HR+ patients died before tamoxifen became available in 2013. Of the remaining 51 HR+ patients, 26 (51%) initiated tamoxifen but only 9 of them (35%) adhered to therapy (medication possession rate ≥80%, median observation 16.2 months). After 1 year, 52% of the patients were still adherent, and 9 patients had discontinued therapy. The reasons for non-initiation of tamoxifen included patient factors (<i>n</i> = 5), including financial hardship or lack of transportation, and health care provider factors (<i>n</i> = 12). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Endocrine therapy for BC patients seems feasible in rural Western Ethiopia, although non-adherence due to financial hardship and a less developed health care infrastructure remains a major challenge. We postulate that the implementation of breast nurses could reduce patient and health system barriers and improve initiation of and adherence to endocrine treatment.

scholarly journals The impact of lymphedema on health-related quality of life up to 10 years after breast cancer treatment

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mads G. Jørgensen ◽  
Navid M. Toyserkani ◽  
Frederik G. Hansen ◽  
Anette Bygum ◽  
Jens A. Sørensen
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Breast Cancer Treatment ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe impact of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) on long-term quality of life is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of BCRL on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) up to 10 years after breast cancer treatment. This regional population-based study enrolled patients treated for breast cancer with axillary lymph node dissection between January 1st 2007 and December 31th 2017. Follow up and assessments of the included patients were conducted between January 2019 and May 2020. The study outcome was HRQoL, evaluated with the Lymphedema Functioning, Disability and Health Questionnaire, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire and the Short Form (36) Health Survey Questionnaire. Multivariate linear logistic regression models adjusted for confounders provided mean score differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals in each HRQoL scale and item. This study enrolled 244 patients with BCRL and 823 patients without BCRL. Patients with BCRL had significantly poorer HRQoL than patients without BCRL in 16 out of 18 HRQoL subscales, for example, in physical function (MDs 27, 95%CI: 24; 30), mental health (MDs 24, 95%CI: 21; 27) and social role functioning (MDs 20, 95%CI: 17; 23). Age, BMI, BCRL severity, hand and dominant arm affection had only minor impact on HRQoL (MDs < 5), suggesting a high degree of inter-individual variation in coping with lymphedema. This study showed that BCRL is associated with long-term impairments in HRQoL, especially affecting the physical and psychosocial domains. Surprisingly, BCRL diagnosis rather than clinical severity drove the largest impairments in HRQoL.

scholarly journals Patterns of treatment and outcome of palbociclib plus endocrine therapy in hormone receptor-positive/HER2 receptor-negative metastatic breast cancer: a real-world multicentre Italian study

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 175883592098765
Author(s):  
Raffaella Palumbo ◽  
Rosalba Torrisi ◽  
Federico Sottotetti ◽  
Daniele Presti ◽  
Anna Rita Gambaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽  
Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Real World ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Her2 Receptor ◽  
Treatment Line ◽  
Hormone Receptor Positive

Background: The CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib combined with endocrine therapy (ET) has proven to prolong progression-free survival (PFS) in women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Few data are available regarding the efficacy of such a regimen outside the clinical trials. Patients and methods: This is a multicentre prospective real-world experience aimed at verifying the outcome of palbociclib plus ET in an unselected population of MBC patients. The primary aim was the clinical benefit rate (CBR); secondary aims were the median PFS, overall survival (OS) and safety. Patients received palbociclib plus letrozole 2.5 mg (cohort A) or fulvestrant 500 mg (cohort B). Results: In total, 191 patients (92 in cohort A, 99 in cohort B) were enrolled and treated, and 182 were evaluable for the analysis. Median age was 62 years (range 47–79); 54% had visceral involvement; 28% of patients had previously performed one treatment line (including chemotherapy and ET), 22.6% two lines and 15.9% three. An overall response rate of 34.6% was observed with 11 (6.0%) complete responses and 52 (28.6%) partial responses. Stable disease was achieved by 78 patients (42.9%) with an overall CBR of 59.8%. At a median follow-up of 24 months (range 6–32), median PFS was 13 months without significant differences between the cohorts. When analysed according to treatment line, PFS values were significantly prolonged when palbociclib-based therapy was administered as first-line treatment (14.0 months), to decrease progressively in second and subsequent lines (11.7 and 6.7 months, respectively). Median OS was 25 months, ranging from 28.0 months in 1st line to 18.0 and 13.0 months in 2nd and subsequent lines, respectively. Conclusions: Our data indicate that palbociclib plus ET is active and safe in HR+/HER2− MBC, also suggesting a better performance of the combinations in earlier treatment lines.

scholarly journals Clinical relevance of a degree of extracapsular extension in a sentinel lymph node in breast cancer patients: a single-centre study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Nowikiewicz ◽  
Andrzej Kurylcio ◽  
Iwona Głowacka-Mrotek ◽  
Maria Szymankiewicz ◽  
Magdalena Nowikiewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Lymph Node ◽  
Term Treatment ◽  
Extracapsular Extension ◽  
Group Iii ◽  
Metastatic Lesions ◽  
Cancer Metastases ◽  
Group I ◽  
Long Term Treatment

AbstractIn some breast cancer (BC) patients, an examination of lymph nodes dissected during sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) demonstrates a presence of metastatic lesions and extracapsular extension (ECE) in a SLN. This study aimed to evaluate clinical relevance of ECE in BC patients. This is a retrospective analysis of 891 patients with cancer metastases to SLN, referred to supplementary axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), hospitalized between Jan 2007 and Dec 2017. Clinical and epidemiological data was evaluated. Long-term treatment outcomes were analysed. In 433 (48.6%) patients, cancer metastases were limited to the SLN (group I), in 61 (6.8%) patients the SLN capsule was exceeded focally (≤ 1 mm—group II). In 397 (44.6%) patients, a more extensive ECE was found (> 1 mm—group III). Metastases to non-sentinel lymph nodes (nSLNs) were diagnosed in 27.0% patients from group I, 44.3% patients from group II and in 49.6% patients from group III. No statistically significant differences were observed in long-term treatment outcomes for compared groups. The presence of ECE is accompanied by a higher stage of metastatic lesions in the lymphatic system. The differences in this respect were statistically significant, when compared to the group of ECE(−) patients. ECE, regardless of its extent, did not impact the long-term treatment results. ECE remains an indication for supplementary ALND and for other equivalent cancer treatment procedures, regardless of ECE size.

scholarly journals Cancer Treatment–Induced Bone Loss (CTIBL): State of the Art and Proper Management in Breast Cancer Patients on Endocrine Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Diana ◽  
Francesca Carlino ◽  
Emilio Francesco Giunta ◽  
Elisena Franzese ◽  
Luigi Pio Guerrera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Bone Loss ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Aromatase Inhibitors ◽  
Bone Health ◽  
Optimal Time ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Antiresorptive Agents

Opinion statementAbout 70–80% of early breast cancer (BC) patients receive adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) for at least 5 years. ET includes in the majority of cases the use of aromatase inhibitors, as upfront or switch strategy, that lead to impaired bone health. Given the high incidence and also the high prevalence of BC, cancer treatment–induced bone loss (CTIBL) represents the most common long-term adverse event experimented by patients with hormone receptor positive tumours. CTIBL is responsible for osteoporosis occurrence and, as a consequence, fragility fractures that may negatively affect quality of life and survival expectancy. As recommended by main international guidelines, BC women on aromatase inhibitors should be carefully assessed for their fracture risk at baseline and periodically reassessed during adjuvant ET in order to early detect significant worsening in terms of bone health. Antiresorptive agents, together with adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, should be administered in BC patients during all course of ET, especially in those at high risk of osteoporotic fractures, as calculated by tools available for clinicians. Bisphosphonates, such as zoledronate or pamidronate, and anti-RANKL antibody, denosumab, are the two classes of antiresorptive drugs used in clinical practice with similar efficacy in preventing bone loss induced by aromatase inhibitor therapy. The choice between them, in the absence of direct comparison, should be based on patients’ preference and compliance; the different safety profile is mainly related to the route of administration, although both types of drugs are manageable with due care, since most of the adverse events are predictable and preventable. Despite advances in management of CTIBL, several issues such as the optimal time of starting antiresorptive agents and the duration of treatment remain unanswered. Future clinical trials as well as increased awareness of bone health are needed to improve prevention, assessment and treatment of CTIBL in these long-term survivor patients.

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