title: Preferences for oral versus intravenous adjuvant chemotherapy among early breast cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate preferences for oral versus intravenous adjuvant chemotherapy among early breast cancer patients (UMIN-CTR number UMIN000004696).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth-factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer who had completed adjuvant chemotherapy were asked about their preferred route of administration of chemotherapy and the reason. Women also answered questions about their physical and psychological status and quality of life during chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients who had received oral chemotherapy preferred it more frequently than those who had received intravenous chemotherapy (100% versus 37%, respectively, chi-square =15.5; P<0.001). Patients who preferred the same route of administration of chemotherapy as they had previously received showed a significantly better psychological status during chemotherapy compared with those who preferred a different route.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that preferences for oral and intravenous chemotherapy strongly depended on the actual prior administration of chemotherapy and patients' own experiences during chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishitobi
authors.forename: Kazuyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komoike
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inaji
keywords: adjuvant; breast cancer; chemotherapy; intravenous; oral; patient preference