Oncologists' recommendations for adjuvant therapy in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients of varying age and health status.
BACKGROUND
Currently, evidence supports the use of adjuvant endocrine therapy with aromatase inhibitors in post-menopausal patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. The goal of the current study is to understand the effect of patient age and health status on oncologists' decision to recommend adjuvant treatment (endocrine therapy and chemotherapy) in older women with HR-positive breast cancer.


METHODS
An online survey was conducted, with questions related to a hypothetical patient of varying age and health status with a T2 N2 HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. Treatment options included chemotherapy and endocrine therapy, endocrine therapy alone, or no therapy. Respondents (n = 151) were further asked to specify use of either tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. A generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to determine the effect of age and health status on recommendations.


RESULTS
As the hypothetical patient's age increased or health status deteriorated, oncologists (n = 151) were less likely to recommend a combination of chemotherapy and endocrine therapy (P < .0001 for both). In contrast, oncologists were more likely to recommend endocrine therapy alone with advanced age and deteriorating health status (P < .0001 for both). Oncologists were more likely to choose treatment with aromatase inhibitors as opposed to tamoxifen (P < .01), irrespective of age or health status.


CONCLUSIONS
With increasing age and declining health status, oncologists were more likely to recommend endocrine therapy alone as opposed to chemotherapy with endocrine therapy. Oncologists were most likely to recommend aromatase inhibitors, irrespective of age or health status.
Naeim
Arash
A
Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. anaeim@mednet.ucla.edu
Wong
F Lennie
FL
Pal
Sumanta K
SK
Hurria
Arti
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D018734:Genes, erbB-2; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone