Knowledge regarding hormone therapy poor among BRCA mutation carriers

Breast cancer patients who are BRCA mutation carriers (BRCAmcs) seem to be mostly uninformed about the benefits and risks of hormone therapy (HT), which may lead to poor perceptions of it, a recent study has found.

Researchers enrolled 83 BRCAmcs (mean age 55.0±8.2 years) who were given a questionnaire to obtain information about HT use, as well as their perceptions of HT. A Likert scale running from –5 to 5 was used to quantify responses. A parallel group of 89 women (mean age 53.9±5.9 years) without such a mutation was also included.

Participants most commonly associated venous thrombosis and breast cysts with the use of HT. On the other hand, they generally thought that HT was protective against bone fractures, osteoporosis, dementia, and depression. These were generally underestimated relative to literature evidence, especially among BRCAmcs, who garnered absolute Likert averages <1.0

In terms of symptoms, participants thought that HT would lead to weight increase, headaches, and greater appetite. In general, these were overestimated, given that literature evidence is uncertain regarding these risks. In both the analyses of symptoms and diseases/conditions as regards HT, no significant difference in perception was reported between BRCAmcs and controls.

“Knowledge of the possible beneficial effects of HT is relatively low in BRCAmcs, as in the general population, and they are likely to overstate its negative effects and underestimate its health benefits,” the researchers said. “More and better information should be given to these high-risk women to allow them to make informed decisions about the use of HT, especially before undergoing risk‐reducing surgeries.”