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Published on: February 6, 2019
Noncompliance with adjuvant radiation, chemotherapy, or hormonal therapy in breast cancer patients
Aye Moe Thu Ma1, Julie Barone, Ashley E Wallis
1Department of Surgery, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, 1111 Amsterdam Ave, Mu 2, Section D, New York, NY 10025, USA. atma@chpnet.org
Introduction:
There is little information on patient-driven noncompliance of adjuvant therapies and its consequences.
Methods:
This retrospective study compares clinical, pathological features and outcomes of breast cancer patients who were compliant to recommended radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapies to those who were noncompliant.
Results:
Noncompliance rates for chemotherapy, radiation, and tamoxifen were 31 of 421 (7%), 30 of 855 (4%), and 294 of (37%) respectively. Old age was associated with noncompliance to chemotherapy and radiation, but younger women tend to be more often noncompliant to tamoxifen. Noncompliance with chemotherapy or radiation did not significantly affect 5-year local and distant disease-free survival rates. Noncompliance with tamoxifen was associated with decreased 5-year local and distant disease-free survivals (87% versus 96%, 76% versus 87%, respectively, P < .001).
Conclusion:
Noncompliance with tamoxifen is the most common, resulting in significantly increased risk of local and distant disease recurrence.
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