title: Patient's Anastrozole Compliance to Therapy (PACT) Program: Baseline Data and Patient Characteristics from a Population-Based, Randomized Study Evaluating Compliance to Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Hormone-Sensitive Early Breast Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Patient's Anastrozole Compliance to Therapy (PACT) program is a large randomized study designed to assess whether the provision of educational materials (EM) could improve compliance with aromatase inhibitor therapy in postmenopausal women with early, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The PACT study presented a large, homogeneous dataset. The baseline analysis included patient demographics and initial treatments and patient perceptions about treatment and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 4,923 patients were enrolled at 109 German breast cancer centers/clinics in cooperation with 1,361 office-based gynecologists/oncologists. 4,844 women were randomized 1:1 to standard therapy (n = 2,402) or standard therapy plus EM (n = 2,442). Prior breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy had been received by 76% and 24% of the patients, respectively. Radiotherapy was scheduled for 85% of the patients, adjuvant chemotherapy for 38%. Reflecting the postmenopausal, hormone-sensitive nature of this population, only 285 patients (7%) had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A comparison with epidemiological data from the West German Breast Center suggests that the patients in the PACT study are representative of a general postmenopausal early breast cancer population and that the findings may be applicable to 'real-world' Germany and beyond. Compliance data from PACT are eagerly anticipated.
authors.affiliation: Breast Center, Dept. OB&GYN, University of Munich, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harbeck
authors.affiliation: IMBEI, MainzUniversity Hospital Marburg, Munich, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blettner
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Marburg, Munich, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Peyman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hadji
authors.affiliation: Klinikum Offenbach, Munich, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jackisch
authors.affiliation: Gynecologic-Oncological Practice Hannover, Munich, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lück
authors.affiliation: Alcedis GmbH, Gießen, Munich, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Windemuth-Kieselbach
authors.affiliation: AstraZeneca, Wedel, Munich, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaun
authors.affiliation: Brustkrebs Deutschland e.V., Munich, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haidinger
authors.affiliation: PATH Foundation, Radolfzell, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Frauenselbsthilfe nach Krebs e.V., Bonn, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.affiliation: Niederrhein Breast Centre, Mönchengladbach, Ulm, Germany ; Westdeutsches Brust-Centrum (WBC), Düsseldorf, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nitz
authors.affiliation: Women's University Hospital, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kreienberg
keywords: Aromatase inhibitors; Breast cancer; Breast-conserving surgery; Compliance; Mastectomy