Trust improves uptake of adjuvant endocrine therapy in breast cancer

Breast cancer patients with a more trustful bond with their physicians appear to be more open to taking adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) and show lower concerns regarding the treatment, a recent study has found.

Using an online survey, researchers cross-sectionally assessed 269 women with hormonal receptor-positive breast cancer. The Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire was used to evaluate the participants’ perceptions and concerns about AET. European Health Literacy Tool Shed questionnaire was also used to measure trust in their physician.

Majority (85.9 percent) of the respondents were taking AETs at the time of the survey, while the remaining 14.1 percent had either declined or discontinued the treatment. Both subgroups had comparable necessity beliefs regarding AET.

In contrast, women taking AETs had significantly higher trust in their physician than those who were not on such treatment (mean score, 7.44 vs 6.79; p=0.001). Similarly, those who did not accept AET treatment harboured significantly higher concerns regarding potential adverse consequences of AET (mean score, 3.143 vs 2.15; p<0.001).

Logistic regression analysis confirmed that higher trust in physicians was significantly correlated with accepting AET (odds ratio [OR], 3.02, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.89–5.33; p<0.001), while harbouring concerns was significantly detrimental (OR, 0.19, 95 percent CI, 0.08–0.37; p<0.001).

“The study demonstrates the importance a trustful patient‐physician relationship, which outweighs patients' concerns towards AET, as well as nonmodifiable factors such as age and less favourable prognosis,” the researchers said.