Adherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Insured Black and White Breast Cancer Survivors: Exploring Adherence Measures in Patient Data

Adherence to oral endocrine therapy in racial/ethnic minority patients with low socioeconomic status before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Adherence to oral endocrine therapy (OET) is crucial in ensuring its maximum benefit in the prevention and treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR +) breast cancer (BC). Medication use behavior is suboptimal especially in racial/ethnic minorities with lower socioeconomic status (SES).

AIM

We aimed to assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on OET adherence and identify demographic and/or clinical characteristics associated with nonadherence in racial/ethnic minorities with lower SES.

METHOD

A retrospective study was conducted at the Harris Health System in Houston, Texas. Data were collected during the 6 months before and 6 months after the start of the pandemic. The adherence was assessed using the prescription refill data using the proportion of days covered. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify demographic/clinical characteristics associated with nonadherence. Eighteen years or older patients on appropriate doses of OET for prevention or treatment of BC were included.

RESULTS

In 258 patients, adherence was significantly lower during the pandemic (44%) compared to before the pandemic (57%). The demographic/clinical characteristics associated with OET nonadherence before the pandemic were Black/African American, obesity/extreme obesity, prevention setting, tamoxifen therapy, and 4 or more years on OET. During the pandemic, prevention setting and those not using home delivery were more likely to be nonadherent.

CONCLUSION

OET adherence was significantly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in racial/ethnic minority patients with low SES. Patient-centered interventions are necessary to improve OET adherence in these patients.

Longitudinal associations among physical activity and sitting with endocrine symptoms and quality of life in breast cancer survivors: A latent growth curve analysis

PURPOSE

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) often causes debilitating endocrine symptoms that compromise quality of life (QOL) in women diagnosed with hormone receptor positive breast cancer (BC). We examined whether greater levels of physical activity (PA) or prolonged sitting were associated with reduced side effects or worse side effects of AET, respectively.

METHODS

We used parallel process latent growth curve models to examine longitudinal patterns in PA and sitting behaviors, and their association with endocrine symptoms and QOL over 3 years of follow-up in 554 female BC survivors undergoing AET.

RESULTS

At baseline, women were a mean age of 59 years, mostly white (72%), with overweight/obesity (67%), and approximately 50% were within 1 year of diagnosis. Unconditional models showed significant increases in PA (p < 0.01) over time but no change in sitting. Endocrine symptoms, general and BC-specific QOL all significantly worsened over time (p < 0.01). Parallel process models showed no cross-sectional or longitudinal associations between PA and endocrine symptoms. Higher levels of baseline PA were associated with higher baseline QOL scores (p = 0.01) but changes in PA were not associated with changes in QOL. Conversely, more sitting at baseline was associated with worse endocrine symptoms, general and BC specific QOL (ps <0.01). At baseline, having better QOL scores was associated with increases in sitting (ps <0.01), while having worse endocrine symptoms was associated with a slower rate of increase in sitting (p < 0.01). Increases in sitting time were also associated with a slower rate of increase in endocrine symptoms (p = 0.017). Model fit statistics (x2, CFI, TLI, SRMR) were acceptable.

CONCLUSION

Both PA and sitting behaviors are important for the management of symptoms and in maintaining QOL in BC survivors. Women with already high symptom burden do not increase sitting time further but having better general and BC specific QOL to begin with means a greater decline over time.

Survival Disparities in US Black Compared to White Women with Hormone Receptor Positive-HER2 Negative Breast Cancer

Black women in the US have significantly higher breast cancer mortality than White women. Within biomarker-defined tumor subtypes, disparate outcomes seem to be limited to women with hormone receptor positive and HER2 negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer, a subtype usually associated with favorable prognosis. In this review, we present data from an array of studies that demonstrate significantly higher mortality in Black compared to White women with HR+/HER2-breast cancer and contrast these data to studies from integrated healthcare systems that failed to find survival differences. Then, we describe factors, both biological and non-biological, that may contribute to disparate survival in Black women.

Identifying the predictors of adherence to oral endocrine therapy in racial/ethnic minority patients with low socioeconomic status

Background Adherence to oral endocrine therapy (OET) is crucial in ensuring its maximum benefit in prevention and treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC) in patients. Medication use behavior is suboptimal especially in racial/ethnic minorities of lower socioeconomic status (SES). We aimed to assess the OET adherence and its predictors in racial/ethnic minority patients of lower SES. Aim We aimed to assess the OET adherence and determine the predictors of OET nonadherence in racial/ethnic minority patients of lower SES. Method A retrospective study was conducted at the Harris Health System in Houston, Texas. Since the study period included the COVID-19 pandemic, data was collected during the 6 months prior and 6 months after the start of the pandemic. The adherence was assessed using the prescription refill data using the proportion of days covered. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of nonadherence. Eighteen years or older patients on appropriate doses of OET for prevention or treatment of BC were included. Result In 258 patients, the adherence was significantly lower during the pandemic (44%) compared to before the pandemic (57%). The predictors of OET nonadherence before the pandemic were Black/African American, obesity/extreme obesity, prevention setting, tamoxifen therapy, and 4 or more years on OET. During the pandemic, prevention setting and those not using home delivery were more likely to be nonadherent. Conclusion Racial/ethnic minority patients of lower SES, especially African Americans and those using OET for prevention of BC, require individualized interventions to improve adherence.

A Mixed Method Approach to Examine Surveillance Mammography Experiences in Black and White Breast Cancer Survivors

PURPOSE

The use of surveillance mammography following a breast cancer (BC) diagnosis is associated with early detection of disease relapse and increased overall survival; yet Black women compared to White women have the lowest surveillance mammography rates, with limited explanation. To further understand this racial disparity the present study examines the association of mammography beliefs, knowledge, and healthcare delivery factors on receipt of surveillance mammography among Black and White breast cancer survivors.

METHODS

This is a convergent parallel mixed method study design of an online survey and online focus groups among Black and White BC survivors (N = 266) recruited from community engagement. The online focus groups consisted of a series of theory-informed questions via social media platforms (eg Breastcancer.org, Quora, Reddit). An in-depth thematic analysis approach was used to extract themes from online focus group data. Bivariate (χ²) and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted using the survey data to examine associated factors with receipt of a surveillance mammography within 12 months (yes vs. no).

RESULTS

76% (n = 177) of women were Black, 62% were <5 years since diagnosis, 98% had health insurance, with an age range from 23 to 79 (mean = 55) years. 72% of the sample received a surveillance mammogram relative to 27%. Women more frequently received a surveillance mammogram if they reported perceived mammography benefits (<.001), underwent lumpectomy (P< .001) and had health insurance (P = .04). Black women without communication about surveillance care with providers had a lower likelihood of receiving a surveillance mammogram (OR:0.09,95% CI: 0.01-0.45, P = .003). Thematic findings from online focus groups included motivators for receipt of surveillance mammograms: physician recommendation, regular physical exams, and knowledge of recommended guidelines. Barriers of non-receipt of surveillance mammograms included: transportation, medical cost/financial barriers, feeling ignored from providers, and medical mistrust.

CONCLUSION

Women may require more individualized information regarding their surveillance care to support routine guideline concordant follow-up. Patient-provider-communication is an integral part of Black survivors' surveillance care needs. Improving patient-provider communication for Black women's is necessary to address this group cancer care needs.

Accuracy of tumor registry versus pharmacy dispensings for breast cancer adjuvant endocrine therapy

PURPOSE

Accounting for endocrine therapy use for breast cancer treatment is important for studies of survivorship. We evaluated the accuracy of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) breast cancer endocrine therapy data compared with pharmacy dispensings from an integrated health system.

METHODS

We included women with non-metastatic hormone receptor positive primary breast cancer diagnosed between 1995 and 2017 enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Washington, linking their data with SEER. We used pharmacy dispensings for endocrine therapy within one year following diagnosis as our reference standard. We calculated kappa (concordance), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) overall and stratified by woman and tumor characteristics of interest.

RESULTS

Of 5,055 women, mean age at diagnosis was 62 years (interquartile range = 53-71); 53% had localized stage, 56% received lumpectomy with radiation, and 31% received chemotherapy. SEER data alone identified 67% of women as having received endocrine therapy; this increased to 75% with pharmacy dispensings. SEER's concordance with pharmacy dispensings was 0.68 (PPV = 91%; NPV = 76%). PPV did not vary by tumor or women characteristics; however, NPV declined with younger age at diagnosis (64% in < 45 years vs. 86% in 75+ years), increasing tumor stage (49% in regional stage vs. 91% in DCIS), and chemotherapy treatment (41% in those with chemotherapy vs. 83% in those without chemotherapy).

CONCLUSION

Pharmacy dispensings enable more complete endocrine therapy capture, particularly in women with more advanced tumors or who receive chemotherapy. We determined woman, tumor, and treatment characteristics that contribute to underascertainment of endocrine therapy use in tumor registries.

Association of Endocrine Therapy Initiation Timeliness With Adherence and Continuation in Low-Income Women With Breast Cancer

IMPORTANCE

Though adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) has proven efficacy in treating hormone receptor-positive (HR-positive) breast cancer, patient adherence to AET and continuation of treatment as recommended by guidelines remain suboptimal, especially for low-income patients.

OBJECTIVE

To quantify timelines for initiating AET and assess their association with short- and long-term adherence and continuation of AET in low-income women with breast cancer.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This population-based retrospective cohort study included women younger than 65 years diagnosed with first primary HR-positive breast cancer between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2013, followed up for 5 years after the first use of AET through December 2018, and identified from the linked Missouri Cancer Registry and Medicaid claims data set.

EXPOSURES

Time to initiation (TTI) as days from the date of last treatment (surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy) to the first date of AET prescription fill.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The main outcomes were adherence to AET as medication possession ratio of 80% or greater and continuation of AET as no gap in medication supply for at least 90 days. Odds ratios (ORs) of adherence and continuation over 1 to 5 years were estimated using logistic regression adjusted for demographic, clinical, and neighborhood variables. Analyses were performed between September 1, 2020, and May 31, 2022.

RESULTS

Among 1711 patients, median TTI was 53 (IQR, 26-117) days. A total of 1029 patients (60.1%) were aged 50 to 64 years old, 1270 (74.2%) were non-Hispanic White, and 1133 (66.2%) were unmarried. In the first year after initiation, 1317 (77.0%) were adherent and 1015 (59.3%) continued AET. Over the full 5 years, 376 (22.0%) were adherent and 409 (23.9%) continued AET. Longer TTI was significantly associated with poorer adherence at every year, with an OR of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95-0.99) for 1-year adherence and an OR of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.90-0.97) for 5-year adherence per 1-month increase in TTI. Longer TTI was also associated with lower odds of short-term, but not long-term, continuation (OR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.95-0.99] for 1-year continuation and 0.98 [95% CI, 0.96-0.99] for 2-year continuation).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study, longer time to AET initiation was associated with lower odds of short-term and long-term adherence to AET in Medicaid-insured patients with breast cancer. Therefore, early interventions targeting treatment initiation timelines may positively impact adherence throughout the course of treatment and, therefore, outcomes.

Adherence to Hormonal Therapy in Breast Cancer Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Single-Center Study

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women. Approximately three-quarters of all breast cancer patients have estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positivity. As a result, the majority of patients receive hormonal treatment for between five and 10 years. Long-term use of hormonal therapy reduces the recurrence rate and the risk of death. In Saudi patients, adherence to hormonal therapy is not adequately assessed. The primary objective of this study is to determine the clinical outcomes associated with hormonal therapy adherence in breast cancer patients.

This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who received adjuvant hormonal therapy for hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Patients were included if they had received at least two prescription refills following their breast cancer diagnosis. The primary outcome measure was mortality and disease progression in relation to hormonal therapy adherence. Progression of disease is defined as local recurrence or radiographic evidence of metastatic disease. The secondary outcome measure was the study population's adherence to hormonal therapy. The proportion of days covered during hormonal therapy was used to assess adherence (PDC). PDC was calculated as the number of days in the prescription period divided by the total number of days in the prescription period. Patients are considered adherent if their PDC value is greater than 0.8. The mortality and disease progression curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The proportion of patients adhering to hormonal therapy was determined using descriptive analysis. The IRB granted approval. A total of 121 patients were included in the study from the 380 patients screened. Tamoxifen, letrozole, and anastrozole were administered to 58%, 27%, and 14% of patients, respectively. The median age was 53 years. Women who were postmenopausal constituted 52.3% of the study population. The majority of patients were in Stages II and I (56.2% and 16.53%, respectively). The majority of the tumors were Grade II (58.68 %). Adherence was not associated with disease progression (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.25-1.72) or mortality (HR, 1.391; 95 percent CI, 0.33-5.82). Disease progression and mortality were not found to be significantly associated with hormonal therapy adherence in this study. A larger study is required to confirm the findings of our study.

Endocrine therapy initiation among women with stage I-III invasive, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer from 2001-2016

PURPOSE

This retrospective cohort study examined patterns of endocrine therapy initiation over time and by demographic, tumor, and treatment characteristics.

METHODS

We included 7777 women from three U.S. integrated healthcare systems diagnosed with incident stage I-III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer between 2001 and 2016. We extracted endocrine therapy from pharmacy dispensings, defining initiation as dispensings within 12 months of diagnosis. Demographic, tumor, and treatment characteristics were collected from electronic health records. Using generalized linear models with a log link and Poisson distribution, we estimated initiation of any endocrine therapy, tamoxifen, and aromatase inhibitors (AI) over time with relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for age, tumor characteristics, diagnosis year, other treatment, and study site.

RESULTS

Among women aged 20+ (mean 62 years), 6329 (81.4%) initiated any endocrine therapy, and 1448 (18.6%) did not initiate endocrine therapy. Tamoxifen initiation declined from 67 to 15% between 2001 and 2016. AI initiation increased from 6 to 69% between 2001 and 2016 in women aged ≥ 55 years. The proportion of women who did not initiate endocrine therapy decreased from 19 to 12% between 2002 and 2014 then increased to 17% by 2016. After adjustment, women least likely to initiate endocrine therapy were older (RR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.77-0.85 for age 75+ vs. 55-64), Black (RR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-1.00 vs. white), and had stage I disease (RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.85-0.91 vs. stage III).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite an increase in AI use over time, at least one in six eligible women did not initiate endocrine therapy, highlighting opportunities for improving endocrine therapy uptake in breast cancer survivors.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Care and Health-Related Quality of Life of Non-Hispanic Black/African American, Hispanic/Latina and Non-Hispanic White Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in the U.S.: A Mixed-Methods Study Protocol

The COVID-19 pandemic has had critical consequences for cancer care delivery, including altered treatment protocols and delayed services that may affect patients’ quality of life and long-term survival. Breast cancer patients from minoritized racial and ethnic groups already experience worse outcomes, which may have been exacerbated by treatment delays and social determinants of health (SDoH). This protocol details a mixed-methods study aimed at comparing cancer care disruption among a diverse sample of women (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latina) and assessing how proximal, intermediate, and distal SDoH differentially contribute to care continuity and health-related quality of life. An embedded mixed-methods design will be implemented. Eligible participants will complete an online survey, followed by a semi-structured interview (with a subset of participants) to further understand factors that influence continuity of care, treatment decision-making, and self-reported engagement. The study will identify potentially modifiable factors to inform future models of care delivery and improve care transitions. These data will provide the necessary evidence to inform whether a subsequent, multilevel intervention is warranted to improve quality of care delivery in the COVID-19 aftermath. Additionally, results can be used to identify ways to leverage existing social resources to help manage and support patients’ outcomes.

Receipt of guideline-concordant care among young adult women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the real-world care of young adult (YA) females (aged 20-39 years) with breast cancer. This study describes factors associated with the receipt of guideline-concordant care (GCC) among YAs.

METHODS

The authors identified 1259 YA women with invasive breast cancer diagnosed in 2013 in the National Cancer Institute's Patterns of Care study. Hospital records were re-abstracted, and treatment was verified. Using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's 2013 breast cancer guidelines, the authors assessed the receipt of GCC by cancer subtype among a subset of YAs (n = 952). Associations between sociodemographic and clinical factors and GCC receipt were examined.

RESULTS

Most YAs were 35 to 39 years old (51.2%) and partnered (56.4%); half had hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) tumors. GCC was found for 81.7% of YAs. Relationships between sociodemographic and clinical factors and GCC receipt differed by subtype. Stage was the only significant predictor of GCC receipt for all subtypes (stage II vs III: odds ratio [OR] for HR+/HER2+, 0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.08-0.50; OR for HR-/HER2+, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.07-0.25; OR for HR-/HER2-, 3.86; 95% CI, 1.55-9.62; OR for HR+/HER2-, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.63-5.80).

CONCLUSIONS

GCC is high among YAs with breast cancer. The effects of sociodemographic factors and treatment facility size on GCC differ by subtype. Consistent with recommendations, tumor biology, not age, is associated with GCC for all subtypes. Future studies should assess the effect of GCC on survival among YAs.

Adherence to treatment with oral antineoplastic therapy in outpatients

BACKGROUND

Multiple factors have defined the success of treatment with oral antineoplastic, especially adherence to the therapeutic regimen. The aim of this study was to describe the profile of individuals in treatment with oral antineoplastic according to the sociodemographic and clinical epidemiology factors as well as to estimate the association with those to Non-adherence to the treatment with oral antineoplastic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional observational study was performed in the chemotherapy outpatient's department from December 2015 to March 2016 at a teaching hospital. The outcome Non-adherence was evaluated according to Morisky Green test. The variables which have reached statistical significance in the bivariate analysis were tested in the multivariate model to evaluate if they remained associated to "Non-adherence" according to the Poisson logistic regression and corrected by robust variance.

RESULTS

In total, 233 patients were analyzed and 60.9% were found in Non-adherence to the treatment with oral antineoplastic according Morisky Green test (MMAS8), in which forgetfulness were often and had driven to non-adherence outcome. Multivariate analysis found three final predictors for Non-adherence which were own income, carer, unease and had needed urgency services in the last year.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals several factors associated with nonadherence. Those outcomes show that the patient's journey during antineoplastic treatment must be discussed and addressed in a broad way together with measures in public health policies.

Race and Patient-reported Symptoms in Adherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy: A Report from the Women's Hormonal Initiation and Persistence Study

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) improves outcomes in women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. Suboptimal AET adherence is common, but data are lacking about symptoms and adherence in racial/ethnic minorities. We evaluated adherence by race and the relationship between symptoms and adherence.

METHODS

The Women's Hormonal Initiation and Persistence study included women diagnosed with nonrecurrent HR+ breast cancer who initiated AET. AET adherence was captured using validated items. Data regarding patient (e.g., race), medication-related (e.g., symptoms), cancer care delivery (e.g., communication), and clinicopathologic factors (e.g., chemotherapy) were collected via surveys and medical charts. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with adherence.

RESULTS

Of the 570 participants, 92% were privately insured and nearly one of three were Black. Thirty-six percent reported nonadherent behaviors. In multivariable analysis, women less likely to report adherent behaviors were Black (vs. White; OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.27-0.67; P < 0.001) and with greater symptom burden (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-1.00; P < 0.05). Participants more likely to be adherent were overweight (vs. normal weight) (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.04-2.43; P < 0.05), sat ≤ 6 hours a day (vs. ≥6 hours; OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.25-2.70; P < 0.01), and were taking aromatase inhibitors (vs. tamoxifen; OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.28-2.87; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Racial differences in AET adherence were observed. Longitudinal assessments of symptom burden are needed to better understand this dynamic process and factors that may explain differences in survivor subgroups.

IMPACT

Future interventions should prioritize Black survivors and women with greater symptom burden.