title: Attitudes of patients with metastatic breast cancer toward research biopsies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research studies involving human tissue are increasingly common. However, patients' attitudes toward research biopsies are not well characterized, particularly when the biopsies are carried out outside the context of therapeutic trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred sixty patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) from two academic (n = 80) and two community (n = 80) hospitals completed a 29-item self-administered survey to evaluate their willingness to consider providing research purposes only biopsies (RPOBs) (as a stand-alone procedure) and additional biopsies (ABs) (additional needle passes at the time of a clinically indicated biopsy).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-two (51%) of 160 patients would consider having RPOBs, of which 42 (53%) and 40 (50%) patients were from academic and community hospitals, respectively. Patients who had more prior biopsies were less likely to consider RPOBs (RR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-1.0, P = 0.03). Of 160 patients, 115 (72%) patients would consider having ABs. Of these, 64 (80%) and 51 (64%) patients from academic and community hospitals, respectively, would consider ABs (RR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0-1.5, P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many patients with MBC in both academic and community settings report willingness to consider undergoing biopsies for research. Further research is needed to understand ethical, logistical and provider-based barriers to broader participation in such studies.
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Seah
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Najita
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Care of Maine, Bangor.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Openshaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, North Short Cancer Center, Danvers.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krag
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sohl
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.
authors.forename: Z K
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Stadler
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Care of Maine, Bangor.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peppercorn
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Winer
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Come
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston. Electronic address: nlin@partners.org.
authors.forename: Nancy U
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010358:Patient Participation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: metastatic breast cancer; patient's preferences; research biopsies