Women at increased risk of breast cancer often resist taking drug treatment aimed at preventing the disease, researchers say today.
Dr Sam Smith and colleagues at Queen Mary University of London, UK, investigated the likely uptake of preventative treatment by analysing results of 26 studies from across the world.
In the studies, involving over 21,000 women, participants were given the option to take a drug called raloxifene for five years.
Raloxifene has been shown in previous research to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who are at high or moderate risk. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence recommends that doctors discuss drug treatment with raloxifene, or the breast cancer drug tamoxifen, with this group of women.
Analysis showed that overall only 16% of women chose to take the medication. The rate was higher among those who could take part in a clinical trial compared to those who could not – 25% versus 9%.
The team also looked at a separate group of 18 studies on completion of the full course. This indicated that more than 80% of women took the drugs for at least a year, after which the rate declined.
"Our important research reveals that only a small proportion of eligible women make the decision to have preventative medication," said Dr Smith. "It’s crucial to find out why so many chose not to take the drugs, or stopped taking them before completing the course."
Details are published in Annals of Oncology.
Martin Ledwick of Cancer Research UK commented: "We need to find out more about how women at higher risk of breast cancer make decisions about the different ways they can reduce the risk of developing the disease."
Smith, S. et al. Factors affecting uptake and adherence to breast cancer chemoprevention: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Oncology 9 December 2015 doi:10.1093/annonc/mdv590
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