NHFT Libraries Health News: Stopping tamoxifen 'ups breast cancer death risk'

Thursday, 5 September 2013

Stopping tamoxifen 'ups breast cancer death risk'

Stopping tamoxifen 'ups breast cancer death risk' “Hundreds of women are dying needlessly every year as they stop taking breast cancer drugs because of the unbearable side effects,” reports The Daily Telegraph.

The news is based on a study looking at whether women prescribed tamoxifen after breast cancer surgery took the drug as prescribed (adherence).

Researchers wanted to compare the cost-effectiveness of tamoxifen after breast cancer surgery for women who were highly adherent with those whose adherence to treatment was low.

Researchers analysed data on just over 1,000 Scottish women prescribed tamoxifen to try and reduce risk of cancer recurrence. They found that women with low “adherence” (stopping or taking it irregularly) to tamoxifen had shorter time to cancer recurrence, increased medical costs, and poorer quality of life.

However, despite the headlines, we can’t tell why the women didn’t stick with their treatment. The reasons people stop taking potentially life-saving treatment are complex, and can be due to many factors, including psychosocial and health factors, as well as side effects.

Currently, women given tamoxifen after breast cancer surgery are advised to take it for five years, and the results of this study support this. The study authors suggest that it would be cost-effective for the health service to intervene to encourage women to continue taking tamoxifen daily for the whole five-year period.