title: Racial/ethnic differences in use and duration of adjuvant hormonal therapy for breast cancer in the women's health initiative.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Five-year breast cancer survival rates are lower among Hispanic and African-American women than among Non-Hispanic White women. Differences in breast cancer treatment likely play a role. Adjuvant hormonal therapies increase overall survival among women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined racial/ethnic differences in use and duration of adjuvant hormonal therapy among 3,588 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Extension Study. Women diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive localized or regional stage breast cancer after study enrollment were surveyed between September 2009 and August 2010 and asked to recall prior use and duration of adjuvant hormonal breast cancer therapy. ORs comparing self-reported use and duration with race/ethnicity (Hispanic, African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander vs. Non-Hispanic White) were estimated using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 3,588 women diagnosed from 1994 to 2009; 3,039 (85%) reported any use of adjuvant hormonal therapy, and 67% of women reporting ever-use who were diagnosed before 2005 reported using adjuvant hormonal therapy for the optimal duration of 5 years or more. In adjusted analysis, no statistically significant differences in use or duration by race/ethnicity were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study did not find significant differences in use or duration of use of adjuvant hormonal therapy by race/ethnicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings should be confirmed in other population-based samples, and potential reasons for discontinuation of therapy across all racial/ethnic groups should be explored. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(3); 365-73. ©2012 AACR.
authors.affiliation: Corresponding Author: Jennifer C. Livaudais, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA. jclivaudais@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Livaudais
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lacroix
authors.forename: Rowan T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Chlebowski
authors.forename: Christopher I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Laurel A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Habel
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Beti
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Deborah O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Erwin
authors.forename: F Allan
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Hubbell
authors.forename: Gloria D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Coronado
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011379:Prognosis; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal