Hormone replacement therapy after treatment for breast cancer: physicians' attitudes towards randomized trials

• Published in: Breast cancer research and treatment Vol. 79; no. 2; pp. 213 - 223
• Main Authors: DEL GIUDICE, M. E, SAWKA, C. A, PRITCHARD, K. I, LLEWELLYN-THOMAS, H. A, TRUDEAU, M. E, LEWIS, J. E, FRANSSEN, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.05.2003; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal - adverse effects; Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitudes; Biological and medical sciences; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology; Canada - epidemiology; Cancer research; Cancer therapies; Clinical trials; Drug Prescriptions - statistics & numerical data; Female; Genital system. Reproduction; Health Care Surveys; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Hormone replacement therapy; Hormone Replacement Therapy - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Menopause - drug effects; Middle Aged; Patient Selection; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physicians; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Referral and Consultation; Canada; Human; Replacement therapy; Menopause; attitudes; breast neoplasms; Estrogen; Physician; Controlled therapeutic trial; Malignant tumor; randomized controlled trial; Mammary gland diseases; Randomization; Surveillance; hormone replacement therapy; Female; Mammary gland; physician survey
• ISSN: 0167-6806; 1573-7217
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1023951616696

Physician support is required for successful patient recruitment to a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to determine the safety and benefits of short-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after breast cancer (BC). A survey was mailed to 1899 Canadian gynaecologists, family physicians, medical, radiation and surgical oncologists to assess willingness to refer patients to an RCT of HRT after BC. Of 538 physicians, 420 (78%) reported that they would be willing to refer a woman after BC to an RCT of HRT versus placebo. Variables predicting willingness to refer included: support for HRT in well women (p = 0.04) and after BC (p = 0.0001); support for clinical trials (p = 0.0001); ongoing BC trials at the physicians' institution (p = 0.003); currently prescribing HRT to women after BC (p = 0.03); and beneficial results in ongoing RCTs of HRT in well women (p = 0.02). An RCT of short-term HRT after BC may be feasible among Canadian physicians.