How Well Do Breast Cancer Patients Adhere to Adjuvant Therapy?

Patient-reported adherence to tamoxifen and anastrozole was significantly inflated.

Patients commonly indicate that they adhere to prescribed oral medications. However, reality usually falls short of reported adherence, particularly when medications are taken multiple times per day for long periods. For example, recent findings indicate that adherence to adjuvant therapy with tamoxifen or anastrozole is suboptimal among women with early-stage breast cancer (J Clin Oncol 1993; 11:1189 and J Clin Oncol 2008; 26:556).

To assess adherence to adjuvant therapy among women with breast cancer, investigators conducted an industry-funded, retrospective analysis involving 100 postmenopausal patients who received tamoxifen or anastrozole after surgery for primary breast cancer. Patients who received tamoxifen were older than those who …

Reviewing Author

William J. Gradishar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardLilly; AstraZeneca; Gilead

Grant/Research SupportBreast Cancer Research Foundation

Editorial BoardsClinical Breast Cancer; Oncology; Annals of Surgery; Breast Cancer Research and Treatment

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNational Comprehensive Cancer Network (Chair, Breast Cancer Panel); American Board of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology Board)