Preventative therapy for breast cancer: a clinical experience

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Preventative Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Breast cancer incidence in the UK is projected to increase significantly by 2035.
• Preventative strategies are crucial for reducing breast cancer risk, particularly for oestrogen receptor-positive types.
• Low uptake of preventative therapy necessitates exploring factors influencing women's decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore qualitative data from a preventative therapy clinic to inform future breast cancer prevention efforts.
• To understand women's uptake of preventative therapy and identify barriers and facilitators.

Main Methods:

• Recruited women aged 30-60 from symptomatic breast and family history clinics.
• Calculated breast cancer risk using the IBIS risk calculator for interested participants.
• Offered consultations about preventative therapy to women identified as increased risk.

Main Results:

• 182 women were identified at increased risk, with 50% not meeting family history criteria alone.
• 96% attended risk/prevention consultations, and all eligible women accepted mammographic screening.
• Only 8% of eligible women requested preventative therapy prescriptions, citing reluctance towards medication and life timing.

Conclusions:

• Women at increased risk accept enhanced screening but show reluctance towards preventative therapy.
• Stratified screening using risk calculations appears to have high potential uptake.
• Optimizing the timing and communication of preventative therapy is essential, respecting informed patient preferences.