5 November 2008

Women risk their lives by failing to take breast cancer drugs

Press release from the University of Dundee (issued on behalf of the British Journal of Cancer)

Breast cancer patients are risking their lives by failing to take the tamoxifen they are prescribed, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer* today (Tuesday).

Half of the women failed to finish a five year course of the drug and one in five regularly forget to take a tablet.

Experts already know that taking tamoxifen for five years increases survival chances and the new research reveals that women who miss at least one tablet every five days have a 10 per cent greater risk of dying.

The researchers - based at the University of Dundee and funded by the Medical Research Council and Breast Cancer Research (Scotland) - used the prescription records of more than 2000 women to see how many did not complete the standard treatment of a tamoxifen tablet every day and linked this to other health records to see if they were more likely to die.

The results show that 10 per cent of women followed for one year stopped taking tamoxifen, 19 per cent of the women followed for at least two years had stopped, 32 per cent of the women followed for three and a half years had stopped and a total of 51 per cent of women followed for five or more years had stopped taking the drug.

The study also showed that younger women were more likely to stop taking the medication early but there was no difference in the rich or poorer groups of women.

Professor Alastair Thompson, based at Ninewells Hospital Dundee and the senior breast specialist on the study, said: 'This study paints a worrying picture. Tamoxifen is prescribed for five years to offer the best chance of surviving breast cancer, and not taking the tablets means that many women could be disadvantaged. Doctors and nurses should encourage patients to keep taking their prescribed medications, ensure side effects are managed as best as possible and thus get the maximum benefit from the medication.'

Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK’s director of information, said: 'We know that tamoxifen saves lives, so these results are a real concern. It’s not disastrous if women simply forget to take the occasional tablet but if they forget regularly and don’t complete their treatment we need to know why. We need to make it clear that taking tamoxifen regularly for the full five years gives women the best chance of surviving breast cancer. If women are experiencing problems in taking any medication then we urge them to consult their doctor.'

* For media enquiries, please contact Paul Thorne in the press office on 020 7061 8352, or, out of hours, the duty press officer on 07050 264 059.

Notes to Editors:
*BJC reference.
At the time of this study around 3/4 of patients would have been offered tamoxifen after surgery. Although there has been an increase in the use of aromatase inhibitors, tamoxifen is still the most commonly used adjuvant therapy and guidelines recommend it as the initial therapy for women with oestrogen receptor positive tumours.

About Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with more than 45,500 women diagnosed each year. Worldwide more than a million women are diagnosed each year.

Each year around 300 men are diagnosed with breast cancer.

Eight out of ten breast cancers are diagnosed in women aged 50 and over.

Breast cancer survival rates have been improving for more than twenty years, and the NHS breast screening programme saves around 1,400 lives each year. In the 1970s around five out of ten breast cancer patients survived beyond five years. Now it’s eight out of ten.

About the British Journal of Cancer (BJC)
The BJC is owned by Cancer Research UK. Its mission is to encourage communication of the very best cancer research from laboratories and clinics in all countries. Broad coverage, its editorial independence and consistent high standards have made BJC one of the world's premier general cancer journals. www.bjcancer.com.

Cancer Research UK

• Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer.
• Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer.
• Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients.
• Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make.
• Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer.

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7009 8820 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org.uk.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk