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Developing patient-centred strategies to optimize the management of vasomotor symptoms in breast cancer patients: a survey of health care providers
- Source :
- Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Purpose Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) such as hot flashes and night sweats are common in breast cancer patients and can affect both quality of life and treatment adherence. However, there is limited practical data to guide clinicians in the optimal selection of therapeutic strategies. A survey of health care providers was performed to better understand perspectives and prescribing practices for managing this problem. Methods Canadian health care providers who treat patients with early stage breast cancer (EBC) participated in an anonymous electronic survey. Participants provided their perspectives on the prevalence and severity of VMS among patients with EBC, outlined their management strategies, and provided feedback on the perceived efficacy of interventions for VMS. Results Responses were received from 65 providers including breast oncologists (36/65, 55%) and nurses with oncology expertise (29/65, 45%). Seventy-seven percent of participants reported regularly asking patients about VMS, and most indicated that bothersome VMS occurred in the majority of patients. Health care providers cited hot flash severity and sleep disruption as the most important issues for patients. The most common first- and second-line interventions recommended were lifestyle modifications (n = 32/65, 49.2%) and pharmacologic strategies (n = 27/65, 41.5%), respectively. Most respondents felt that interventions, including pharmacologic, over-the-counter, and complementary therapies, were only “somewhat effective”. Overall, half of respondents (n = 35/65, 54%) reported being “confident” in managing VMS. Conclusion Given the variability of treatment recommendations, and health care provider uncertainty around the benefits of therapies for VMS, more ‘real-world’ trials are needed to optimize patient care.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Cancer Research
medicine.medical_specialty
Canada
Health Personnel
Psychological intervention
Breast Neoplasms
Sweating
Survivorship
Affect (psychology)
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Quality of life (healthcare)
Breast cancer
Hot flash
Survivorship curve
Surveys and Questionnaires
Health care
medicine
Humans
Vasomotor symptoms
Vasomotor
business.industry
medicine.disease
Clinical Trial
030104 developmental biology
Oncology
030220 oncology & carcinogenesis
Family medicine
Hot Flashes
Quality of Life
Female
medicine.symptom
Menopause
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15737217
- Volume :
- 188
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Breast cancer research and treatment
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....3ee6279fd8ebcce58101571d8a5f1036