Fourth Annual Chicago Supportive Oncology Conference

Helping breast cancer patients adhere to oral adjuvant hormonal therapy regimens

Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH,1 Terri Ades, RN, MSN, AOCN®,2 Patricia Spicer, LCSW,3 Linda Englander, MSEd,4 and D. Lawrence Wickerham, MD5

1 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; 2 American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA; 3 CancerCare, New York, NY; 4 Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, Chicago, IL; and 5 Drexel University College of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA

Considering the importance of adjuvant hormonal therapy to preventing recurrence and death among women with early-stage breast cancer, an effort is being made to improve understanding of adherence issues and to devise strategies to improve adherence. In this article, we present the reasons for nonadherence to oral adjuvant hormonal therapy regimens, illustrating the difficulties through patient reports. A series of concrete steps are outlined so that healthcare teams can address the barriers to adherence and help patients stick to their regimens. These recommendations may also provide direction for adherence to a broader range of oncology treatments.

Commun Oncol 2007;4:725–731   print e-mail full text 186 kb