Tamoxifen and Aromatase Inhibitors in Breast Cancer Treatment
Author Information
Author(s): Huiart L, Dell'Aniello S, Suissa S
Primary Institution: Institut Paoli-Calmettes
Hypothesis
What are the patterns of use and compliance with tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors among women with breast cancer?
Conclusion
Younger women often discontinue tamoxifen treatment prematurely, while older women show high compliance with aromatase inhibitors.
Supporting Evidence
- 18.9% of women on AIs discontinued treatment within 5 years compared to 31.0% on tamoxifen.
- 50.7% of women under 40 discontinued tamoxifen within 5 years.
- Compliance rates for AIs were higher than for tamoxifen among older women.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well women with breast cancer stick to their hormone treatments. Younger women often stop taking their medicine too soon, while older women usually keep taking it as they should.
Methodology
The study analyzed a cohort of 13,479 women with breast cancer who received prescriptions for tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, examining treatment discontinuation and compliance over time.
Potential Biases
Potential indication bias due to differences in patient characteristics between those receiving tamoxifen and those receiving aromatase inhibitors.
Limitations
The study does not have access to exact data on patient compliance, relying instead on prescription records which may overestimate actual medication intake.
Participant Demographics
Mean age at cohort entry was 62 years for tamoxifen users and 70.8 years for aromatase inhibitor users; included women under 40 and over 50.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 15.1–23.0 for AIs, 95% CI: 29.6–32.2 for tamoxifen
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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