title: Acceptance of oral chemotherapy in breast cancer patients - a survey study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral (p.o.) chemotherapy treatments gained increasing importance in the palliative treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Aim of this survey was to evaluate the acceptance of p.o. treatment and patients' individual attitudes towards it.
  
  
  METHODS
  A specific 14 item-questionnaire was designed. Patients suffering from breast cancer receiving a newly launched p.o. or i.v. chemotherapy treatment were prospectively evaluated during 4 months of time. 224 questionnaires using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, Spearman correlation were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' median age was 54 years, 164 received i.v., 60 p.o therapy. 89% with p.o. and 67% with i.v. regimens would choose p.o. over i.v. therapy, if equal efficacy is guaranteed. Significant differences were especially found in terms of personal benefit (55% i.v., 92% p.o.), reduced feeling of being ill due to p.o. treatment (26% i.v., 65% p.o.), better coping with disease due to p.o. therapy (36% i.v., 68% p.o.). Side effects were significantly less often reported under p.o. treatment (19% p.o. vs. 53% i.v.)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  P.o. chemotherapy shows a high acceptance in MBC patients under palliative therapy. Compliance can be achieved in particular through a differentiated indication, patient education and competent support along a p.o. treatment.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The National Center for Tumor Diseases, Voßstraße 9, D-69115 Heidelberg, Germany. sarah.schott@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schneeweiss
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bruckner
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Domschke
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Eichbaum
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires