Improving Adherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Breast Cancer Through a Therapeutic Educational Approach: A Feasibility Study

Developing questions to assess and measure patients' perceived survival benefit from adjuvant endocrine therapy in breast cancer: a mixed methods pilot study

This mixed method study developed multiple question types to understand and measure women's perceived benefit from adjuvant endocrine therapy. We hypothesis that patients do not understand this benefit and sought to develop the questions needed to test this hypothesis and obtain initial patient estimates. From 8/2022 to 3/2023, qualitative interviews focused on assessing and modifying 9 initial varied question types asking about the overall survival (OS) benefit from adjuvant endocrine therapy. Subsequent focus groups modified and selected the optimal questions. Patients' self-assessment of their OS benefit was compared to their individualized PREDICT model results. Fifty-three patients completed the survey; 42% Hispanic, 30% rural, and 47% with income < $39,999 per year. Patients reported adequate health care literacy (61.5%) and average confidence about treatment and medication decisions 49.4 (95% CI 24.4-59.5). From the original 9 questions, 3 modified questions were ultimately found to capture patients' perception of this OS benefit, focusing on graphical and prose styles. Patients estimated an OS benefit of 42% compared to 4.4% calculated from the PREDICT model (p < 0.001). In this group with considerable representation from ethnic minority, rural and low-income patients, qualitative data showed that more than one modality of question type was needed to clearly capture patients' understanding of treatment benefit. Women with breast cancer significantly overestimated their 10-year OS benefit from adjuvant endocrine therapy compared to the PREDICT model.

OUP accepted manuscript

Introduction

Many women in rural Ethiopia do not receive adjuvant therapy following breast cancer surgery despite the majority being diagnosed with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer and tamoxifen being available in the country. We aimed to compare a breast nurse intervention to improve adherence to tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer patients.

Methods and Materials

The 8 hospitals were randomized to intervention and control sites. Between February 2018 and December 2019, patients with breast cancer were recruited after their initial surgery. The primary outcome of the study was adherence to tamoxifen therapy by evaluating 12-month medication-refill data with medication possession ratio (MPR) and using a simplified medication adherence scale (SMAQ) in a subjective assessment.

Results

A total of 162 patients were recruited (87 intervention and 75 control). Trained nurses delivered education and provided literacy material, gave additional empathetic counselling, phone call reminders, and monitoring of medication refill at the intervention hospitals. Adherence according to MPR at 12 months was high in both the intervention (90%) and control sites (79.3%) (P = .302). The SMAQ revealed that adherence at intervention sites was 70% compared with 44.8% in the control sites (P = .036) at 12 months. Persistence to therapy was found to be 91.2% in the intervention and 77.8% in the control sites during the one-year period (P = .010).

Conclusion

Breast nurses can improve cost-effective endocrine therapy adherence at peripheral hospitals in low-resource settings. We recommend such task sharing to overcome the shortage of oncologists and distances to central cancer centers.

The impact of medication side effects on adherence and persistence to hormone therapy in breast cancer survivors: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis

BACKGROUND

Hormone Therapy (HT) reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence and mortality in women with breast cancer. Despite these clinical benefits, rates of HT non-adherence and non-persistence are high. Research suggests this may be due to the impact of HT side effects. However, little research has explored the individual contribution of side effects to non-adherence and non-persistence behaviours, thereby hindering the implementation of targeted intervention strategies. Our aim is to review the published literature on breast cancer survivors' lived experiences of HT side effects and explore how these may be related to non-adherence and non-persistence behaviour.

METHODS

Electronic searches were conducted from inception to May 2020, utilising Cochrane CENTRAL, Medline, Embase, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases. Searches included a combination of terms related to breast cancer, adherence, hormone therapy and side effects.

RESULTS

Sixteen eligible papers were identified, and study quality was high. Data were thematically synthesised into four analytical themes, which encompassed 13 descriptive sub-themes: 'Daily impact of side-effects', 'Role of Health Care Professionals', 'Managing HT side-effects', and 'Weighing up the pros and cons'.

CONCLUSIONS

HT side effects significantly impact breast cancer survivor's quality of life. A lack of support from healthcare providers leads to self-management strategies, which negatively affects adherence and persistence behaviour.

Patient-Reported Outcomes From Phase III Neoadjuvant Systemic Trial Comparing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy With Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Pre-Menopausal Patients With Estrogen Receptor-Positive and HER2-Negative, Lymph Node-Positive Breast Cancer

We aimed to evaluate the patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in a prospective phase III clinical trial, comparing neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) with conventional neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) in patients with hormone status positive, lymph node-positive premenopausal breast cancer (NCT01622361). The patients were randomized prospectively to either 24 weeks of NCT with adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide followed by taxane or NET with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and tamoxifen. The patients were examined at the surgery unit of a large tertiary care hospital with a comprehensive cancer center. PROs were assessed on the first day of the trial (day 1, baseline) and at the end of treatment, using the breast cancer module of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 23 (EORTC QLQ BR23). One hundred and eighty-seven patients were randomly assigned to chemotherapy (n=95) or endocrine therapy (n=92), and 174 patients completed 24 weeks of the neoadjuvant treatment period (n=87, in each group). Baseline scores were similar between the groups. After treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in the function scales, including body image, sexual functioning, and sexual enjoyment between the groups, although the endocrine treatment group showed a significant improvement in the future perspective (hazard ratio, 8.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.72-18.38; P = 0.021). Similarly, there were no statistically significant differences in the symptom scales between the groups, including adverse effects of systemic therapy, breast symptoms, arm symptoms, and upset about hair loss. In conclusion, overall PROs were similar in both treatment groups, except for "future perspective," which was significantly better in the NET group than in the NCT group.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.Gov, identifier NCT01622361.

Encounters between medical and lay knowledge in therapeutic patient education. A qualitative study based on an oral chemotherapy program

OBJECTIVES

The growing number of cancer patients treated with Oral Chemotherapy (OC) at home, is prompting many healthcare centers to develop Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) programs. This study aimed to 1) describe the different forms of knowledge shared and learned in these programs, and 2) better understand how self-care and psychosocial skills are promoted in the TPE context.

METHOD

This study used qualitative data from the French "ONCORAL" program. Data collection was conducted with non-participant observations. The corpus comprised 42 TPE sessions.

RESULTS

Analysis highlighted that TPE specifically helps patients' functional health, revealed the medical expectations and social norms that shape the patient's role, and exposed the difficulties faced by the patient when acquiring self-care skills. Self-care skills and psychosocial skills also appeared to be mutually dependent in the context of TPE.

CONCLUSION

TPE programs which focus more on developing medical knowledge inevitably give less importance to psychosocial skills. Yet the recognition and promotion of the latter in TPE may lead to positive coping strategies related to medical outcomes, such as adherence.

PRACTICE IMPLICATION

Dedicated TPE program objectives for patients undergoing oral chemotherapy should recognize not only the value of medical knowledge but also of lay knowledge.

Breast cancer patients' experiences of adherence and persistence to oral endocrine therapy: A qualitative evidence synthesis

PURPOSE

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence and mortality in women with hormone receptor (HR+) breast cancer. Despite the documented survival benefits with AET, non-adherence and non-persistence remains a significant problem. This systematic review of qualitative research aimed to synthesise breast cancer patients' experiences of adherence and persistence to oral endocrine therapy.

METHODS

The ENTREQ guidelines were followed. A systematic search strategy was performed across eleven electronic databases (Embase, Cinahl, Pubmed, Psychinfo, Proquest, Lenus, Scopus, Web of Science, Rian.ie, EThOS e-theses online, DART Europe). Thomas and Harden's three-stage approach to thematic analysis was undertaken on the findings of all included studies. Confidence in the findings were reviewed using GRADE-CERQual.

RESULTS

Twenty-four qualitative studies were included in the synthesis. Three analytic themes were identified (We don't have an option; the side effects are worse than the disease; help us with information and support). Adherence was often driven by women feeling they had no option and a fear of cancer recurrence. Persistence was helped with support and information. Non-adherence and non-persistence were associated with debilitating side effects, inadequate information and lack of support.

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence and persistence to AET was often suboptimal among breast cancer patients. Women commonly felt isolated and neglected as a result of insufficient information and support from healthcare professionals. If women are to persist with AET, primary care providers should be aware of the facilitators and barriers to adherence, and they should be knowledgeable in symptom management strategies.

Endocrine therapy initiation, discontinuation and adherence and breast imaging among 21-gene recurrence score assay-eligible women under age 65

BACKGROUND

Aside from chemotherapy utilization, limited data are available on the relationship between gene expression profiling (GEP) testing and breast cancer care. We assessed the relationship between GEP testing and additional variables and the outcomes of endocrine therapy initiation, discontinuation and adherence, and breast imaging exams in women under age 65 years.

METHODS

Data from five state cancer registries were linked with claims data and GEP results. We assessed variables associated with survivorship care outcomes in an incident cohort of 5014 commercially insured women under age 65 years, newly diagnosed with stage I or II hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) non-positive breast cancer from 2006 to 2010.

RESULTS

Among tested women, those with high Oncotype DX® Breast Recurrence Score® (RS) were significantly less likely to initiate endocrine therapy than women with low RS tumors (OR 0.40 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.81); P = 0.01). Among all test-eligible women, receipt of Oncotype DX testing was associated with a greater likelihood of endocrine therapy initiation (OR 2.48 (95% CI 2.03 to 3.04); P <0.0001). The odds of initiation were also significantly higher for tested vs. untested women among women who did not initiate chemotherapy within six months of diagnosis (OR 3.25 (95% CI 2.53 to 4.16)), with no effect in women who received chemotherapy. Discontinuation and adherence and breast imaging exams were unrelated to tested status or RS.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower endocrine therapy initiation rates among women with high RS tumors and among untested women not receiving chemotherapy are concerning, given its established efficacy. Additional research is needed to suggest mechanisms to close this gap.