Related Experiment Videos
How rapidly do oncologists respond to clinical trial data?
Aman Buzdar1, Cynthia Macahilig
1Department of Medical Oncology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. abuzdar@mdanderson.org
The Oncologist
|January 6, 2005
Summary
Clinical trial results rapidly shifted breast cancer treatment. Anastrozole use surpassed tamoxifen in postmenopausal women, demonstrating evidence-based medicine
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Hormonal therapy is crucial for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer.
- The Arimidex, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination (ATAC) trial provided key data comparing anastrozole and tamoxifen.
- Understanding the impact of trial data on clinical practice is essential for effective treatment dissemination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the influence of the ATAC trial results on the clinical use of tamoxifen versus anastrozole.
- To assess changes in hormonal therapy prescribing patterns among medical oncologists for early breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of structured interviews with practicing medical oncologists over 28 months.
- Tracking the usage trends of tamoxifen and anastrozole in adjuvant hormonal therapy.
Main Results:
- Overall hormonal therapy use increased during the study period.
- A significant shift occurred from tamoxifen to anastrozole use.
- Anastrozole became the preferred adjuvant hormonal therapy, exceeding 50% of use by study end.
Conclusions:
- Dissemination of robust clinical trial data, supported by expert commentary and regulatory actions, can rapidly alter oncologists' prescribing habits.
- The ATAC trial findings significantly influenced the adoption of anastrozole over tamoxifen for postmenopausal early breast cancer.
- This highlights the successful implementation of evidence-based medicine in clinical practice.