Mobile text messaging to improve adjuvant hormone therapy and side effect management among breast cancer patients: A pilot RCT.

Abstract

e23061 Background: Substantial evidence reports that adjuvant hormone therapy (AHT) decrease breast cancer (BCa) recurrence and mortality, however, many patients are nonadherent due to troublesome side effects. The goal of this pilot study is to test a novel mobile text messaging-based intervention ( TXT2Adhere) that delivers adherence-promoting and side effect coping tips messages. Methods: 58 BCa patients who were within 1 month of AHT initiation were randomized into the TXT2Adhere group (n = 29) or usual care control group (UC, n = 29). Intervention participants received a daily reminder prompt for medication uptake and two messages addressing the importance of AHT adherence and management for potential side effects for 3 months. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 1-month, 2-month, and 3-month. Results: Participants in the TXT2Adhere group reported higher AHT adherence at 2 months (93% vs. 54%, p < 0.05) but this difference between groups disappeared at 3-month as adherence rate in the TXT2Adhere group greatly declined at month 3. Increase in symptom distress at 3-month was found substantially smaller in the TXT2Adhere group than the UC group, although this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Daily text messages promoting adherence and side-effect management demonstrated feasibility with better short-term adherence. Potential intervention improvement to facilitate greater participant engagement and adherence behaviors as the onset of symptoms (e.g. during month 3) needs to be considered.