Acceptance of tamoxifen chemoprevention by physicians and women at risk.
BACKGROUND
In the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) P-1 trial, tamoxifen was shown to reduce breast carcinoma risk by 49% in high-risk women. The purpose of the current study was to identify factors associated with being offered, and accepting, tamoxifen chemoprevention.


METHODS
The records of 219 women who sought risk evaluation after the publication of the NSABP P-1 trial between September 1998 and October 2002 were reviewed. Risk was calculated using the model of either Gail et al. or Claus et al. The impact of individual risk factors on the offering and acceptance of tamoxifen was compared using the Fisher exact test and logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
Tamoxifen was offered to 137 women (63%) in the current study. The magnitude of Gail risk, age, menopausal status, hysterectomy, and history of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) or atypical hyperplasia (AH) were all found to be significant predictors of a patient being offered tamoxifen. On multivariate analysis, only a history of AH or LCIS and hysterectomy were found to be significant, with odds ratios of 20.3 and 3.4, respectively. Fifty-seven of the women who were offered tamoxifen (42%) took the drug. Only a history of LCIS or AH and older age were found to be predictive of tamoxifen acceptance.


CONCLUSIONS
In the current study, risk due to AH or LCIS was found to be the main predictor of being offered and accepting tamoxifen chemoprevention.
Tchou
Julia
J
The Lynn Sage Breast Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Hou
Nanjiang
N
Rademaker
Alfred
A
Jordan
V Craig
VC
Morrow
Monica
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018890:Chemoprevention; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012308:Risk Management; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D013629:Tamoxifen