Preferences for oral and parenteral antitumor therapy: A survey of 260 patients with metastatic breast cancer

Abstract

619 Background: Oral, intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SQ) therapies are commonly utilized to treat patients with metastatic breast cancer (PMBC), and often the risk-benefit ratios of these palliative options are similar. Two common clinical scenarios that offer choices for women with metastatic breast disease are: (1) The oral fluoropyrimidine prodrug, capecitabine or IV agents/ regimens, and (2) For postmenopausal women, daily oral endocrine agents, such as tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors, or fulvestrant, a monthly IM injection. It is widely assumed that oral therapy is preferable, because of the perceived inconvenience and discomfort of parenteral therapy (PT). This study evaluated these preferences. Methods: PMBC were recruited to participate in an anonymous 250-item, 45-minute telephone survey focusing on a variety of issues, including preferences for oral chemotherapy (OC) vs IV chemotherapy (IC) and oral (OE) vs IM endocrine therapy (IME). Results: 260 PMBC were interviewed...