The use of adjuvant endocrine breast cancer therapy in the oldest old.

In order to report specifically on the use of adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) in the oldest old breast cancer (BC) patients, we compared treatment patterns including drug compliance and persistence in a cohort of patients who were ≥ 80 years at diagnosis (n = 79) with those of "younger elderly" patients who were 60-79 years old (n = 358). The geriatric cohort more commonly declined the recommended ET (non-compliance: 13.0% vs.

Young women with breast cancer: how many are actually candidates for fertility preservation?

Purpose: There are no data regarding the actual need for fertility preservation (FP) in breast cancer (BC) patients. Our study provides a practical needs assessment for reproductive medicine by analyzing an unselected cohort of young BC patients. This assessment considers oncological factors as well as the patient's obstetrical and gynecological history and reproductive outcome after BC diagnosis.

Impact of body mass index on compliance and persistence to adjuvant breast cancer therapy.

Several authors found that the prognosis of overweight and obese breast cancer (BC) patients was lower than that of normal weight patients. We present the first study which evaluates the impact of body mass index (BMI) on compliance (i.e.

Eligibility, compliance and persistence of sequential therapy with aromatase inhibitors following 2-3 years of tamoxifen in endocrine adjuvant breast cancer therapy.

Objective: This study evaluated the eligibility, compliance and persistence of sequential therapy, i.e. a switch to an aromatase inhibitor (AI) following 2-3 years of tamoxifen, in adjuvant endocrine breast cancer (BC) treatment.

Eligibility, compliance and persistence of extended adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

Background: Extended therapy (ET) beyond the standard five years of tamoxifen-containing treatment is a widely discussed therapy option in adjuvant endocrine breast cancer (BC) therapy which might offer an opportunity for further protection against late relapses. In this study we evaluated eligibility, compliance and persistence of extended adjuvant endocrine BC therapy.

Patients And Methods: Data concerning all BC patients (≤75 years) who initiated endocrine adjuvant therapy between 1999 and 2005 (n = 286) was analyzed.

Compliance and persistence of endocrine adjuvant breast cancer therapy.

This study evaluates compliance and persistence in adjuvant endocrine breast cancer (BC) therapy by clearly analyzing reasons of therapy cessation by differentiating clinical meaningful situations. In order to illuminate the complex field of personal motivation to therapy, a single institution study with a more individual-based approach might better be suited to provide a detailed case documentation than the more epidemiologic approach of large database studies. An unselected cohort of 698 patients (≤ 80 years) diagnosed with hormonal receptor-positive BC from 1997 to 2008 at the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, was analyzed.

Menopausal state in breast cancer: how reliable is the data?

Unlabelled: Despite the high importance of the menopausal state for the management of breast cancer, above all, when planning antihormonal adjuvant therapy, the menopausal state cannot be defined at the time of diagnosis ina significant proportion of women. The scope of uncertainties regarding the recording of the menopausal state in a cohort of patients with breast cancer is evaluated.

Introduction: Menopause is a cornerstone both in breast cancer (BC) pathophysiology and in clinical management.

Drug switch because of treatment-related adverse side effects in endocrine adjuvant breast cancer therapy: how often and how often does it work?

Therapy-related adverse side effects are a main reason for non-persistence to adjuvant endocrine breast cancer therapy. This study reports frequency of drug-related adverse side effects that were so severe that a modification of the therapy was necessary. We evaluated how many patients discontinued adjuvant endocrine therapy because of these side effects (non-persistence).

Success and failure of primary medical, nonoperative management in breast cancer.

Background: Nonoperative but systemic therapy as first-line management is offered to some patients with breast cancer (BC) who have assumed limited life expectancy, such as older women or those who have distant metastases at initial presentation. We evaluated rates of and predicting factors for success and failure of this therapy approach.

Methods: Seventy-five patients who were initially treated only systemically, and cases in which local control while avoiding surgery was the intended long-term therapy goal were analyzed.