Aromatase Inhibitor-Related Symptoms Reported by Postmenopausal Women with Nonmetastatic, Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: The objective of this systematic review was to establish an overview of aromatase inhibitor-related symptoms reported by postmenopausal women with nonmetastatic, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

Data Sources: Eight databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], Ovid EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched for trials published between January 2004 and November 2021. Inclusion criteria were studies exploring patient-reported aromatase inhibitor-related symptoms in postmenopausal women with nonmetastatic estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool were used to rate the quality of the trials included. Of 325 full-text papers, 10 were included. Patient-reported symptoms were clustered by using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life C30 questionnaire domains. Additional domains were used to cluster other symptoms mentioned: menopausal, sex-related, body alteration, and eye-related. The following clusters were the most frequently presented: sex-related (14 symptoms), pain (9 symptoms), insomnia (5 symptoms), and menopausal (5 symptoms).

Conclusion: The target group reported a variety of symptoms related to aromatase inhibitors. No tools are currently available to measure all the symptoms reported, indicating a need to revise the tools to acknowledge additional symptoms. Prospective studies are needed to investigate the prevalence of aromatase inhibitor-related symptoms in women with breast cancer.

Implication For Nursing Practice: Identification of patient-reported clinically relevant symptoms can enable targeted symptom assessment and management strategies for women with breast cancer undergoing aromatase inhibitor treatment.