gms | German Medical Science

27. Deutscher Krebskongress

Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft e. V.

22. - 26.03.2006, Berlin

Prescription Pattern of Aromatase Inhibitors for the Adjuvant Therapy of Breast Cancer in Germany – Results of the Second Survey Among Gynecologists and Medical Internists

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Diana Lüftner - Charité Campus Mitte, Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Onkologie und Hämatologie, Berlin, Deutschland
  • J. Scheller - Charité Campus Mitte, Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Onkologie und Hämatologie, Berlin
  • P. Henschke - Charité Campus Mitte, Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Onkologie und Hämatologie, Berlin
  • K. Possinger - Charité Campus Mitte, Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Onkologie und Hämatologie, Berlin

27. Deutscher Krebskongress. Berlin, 22.-26.03.2006. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2006. DocOP027

Die elektronische Version dieses Artikels ist vollständig und ist verfügbar unter: http://www.egms.de/de/meetings/dkk2006/06dkk137.shtml

Veröffentlicht: 20. März 2006

© 2006 Lüftner et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Introduction: The anti-hormonal treatment with aromatase inhibitors (AI) is getting more and more important in the adjuvant therapy of breast cancer. Updating our first survey on that topic from the year 2004 (Lüftner et al., Onkologie, in press), we essentially repeated the same questionnaire in 2005 supplemented by questions derived from recommendations of the St. Gallen 2005 consensus meeting.

Methods: The anonymized questionnaires were distributed to the visitors of the annual conferences of the German Society of Senology 2005 and of the German Society of Hematology and Oncology 2005. The questionnaire of the survey dating from 2004 was supplemented by questions asking for the prescription pattern in newly defined risk constellaiton like PR-negative steroid hormone receptor status or HER-2/neu over-expresion. All questions were to be answered with respect to the patients’ national health insurance (NHS) or private health insurance (PHS) status.

Results: The questionnaires were filled in by gynecologists and medical internists in 46% each, 68% of whom worked hospital-based and another 22% in private practice. Based on their estimations, a total of 31,000 breast cancer patients had been treated in their institutions in 2004. Of those, more than 18,000 patients received an AI. Approximately 40%/35% of the physicians will prescribe an AI in > 50% of their NHS/PHS patients, respectively, based on known risks of or contraindications against tamoxifen. In comparison to the results of the first survey from 2004, we saw a drastic increase of the use of AI. In 2004, only 6%/10% of the collegues prescribed an AI in more than 50% of their NHS/PHS patients, respectively, while this percentage increased to 52%/56% NHS/PHS patients, respectively, in 2005. Under the hypothesis of unrestricted approvals, 77%/80% of the treating physicians would administer an AI in more than 50% of their NHS/PHS patients, respectively,. Of all patients under treatment with an AI, NHS/PHS patients received an upfront-therapy in 25%/42%, a switch from tamoxifen to an AI in 46%/38%, and another 29%/19% an extended adjuvant treatment. However, being asked for their prescription pattern based on simulated case reports, the frequency of AI was more than double as high. In NHL patients, upfront/switch/extended adjuvant therapy would be used in 52/84/74%, in PHS patients the rates would be 52/81/77%.

Conclusions: Since our last survey from 2004, the frequency of AI therapy has dramatically incrased. According to our survey, the previous gold standard, tamoxifen, was replaced on a broad base in the years 2004/2005. Based on the results of the simulated case reports, nearly all receptor-positive breast cancer patients will receive an AI in the next future.