Residential proximity to emissions of dioxins and furans and risk of breast cancer in the Sister Study cohort

Background: Whether aromatase inhibitors (AIs) increase the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events, compared to tamoxifen, in women with breast cancer is still debated. We evaluated the association between AI and CV outcomes in a large population-based cohort of breast cancer women. Methods: By using healthcare utilization databases of Lombardy (Italy), we identified women ≥50 years, with new diagnosis of breast cancer between 2009 and 2015, who started adjuvant therapy with either AI or tamoxifen. We estimated the association between exposure to AI and CV outcomes (including myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, heart failure or any CV event) by a Cox proportional hazard model with inverse probability of treatment and censoring weighting. Results: The study cohort included 26,009 women starting treatment with AI and 7937 with tamoxifen. Over a median follow-up of 5.8 years, a positive association was found between AI and heart failure (Hazard Ratio = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.42) and any CV event (1.14, 1.00 to 1.29). The CV risk increased in women with previous CV risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. Conclusions: Adjuvant therapy with AI in breast cancer women aged more than 50 years is associated with increased risk of heart failure and combined CV events.

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Patients With Invasive Breast Cancer Who Refuse Treatment: An Analysis of Associated Factors and Impact on Survival

The American Surgeon ◽

10.1177/00031348211024170 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000313482110241

Author(s):

Jackelyn J. Moya ◽

Ashkan Moazzez ◽

Junko J. Ozao-Choy ◽

Christine Dauphine

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Endocrine Therapy ◽

Invasive Breast Cancer ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Breast Cancer Treatment ◽

Study Cohort ◽

National Cancer Database ◽

Optimal Outcomes ◽

Impact On Survival ◽

The Impact

Background Completion of surgical resection and adjuvant/neoadjuvant treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, and endocrine therapy) is necessary to achieve optimal outcomes in invasive breast cancer. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of patients refusing treatment and to analyze the impact of refusal on survival. Study Design A retrospective cohort study of invasive breast cancer cases diagnosed 2004-2016 was performed utilizing the National Cancer Database. Results Of 2 058 568 cases comprising the study cohort, .6% refused recommended surgery, 14.1% refused chemotherapy, 5.5% refused radiation, and 6.3% refused endocrine therapy. Patients refusing therapy were older and more likely uninsured; they did not live farther from the treating hospital. Racial disparities were also associated with refusal. Surgery refusal had the highest hazard ratio for mortality (2.7; 95% CI: 2.5-3.0, P < .001) compared to chemotherapy (1.3; 95% CI: 1.3-1.4, P < .001), radiation (1.8; 95% CI: 1.7-1.9, P < .001), and endocrine therapy (1.5; 95% CI: 1.4-1.6, P < .001) independent of race, insurance, receptor status, and stage. Conclusion This study demonstrates significant associations with refusal of breast cancer treatment and quantifies the impact on mortality, which may help to identify at-risk groups for whom interventions could prevent increases in mortality associated with declining treatment.

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