Prescription Patterns of Anticancer Drugs for Breast Cancer in Oncology Unit at a Tertiary Hospital in Oman: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Cancer is a large group of diseases that can begin in practically any organ or tissue of the body and spread to other organs. The latter process is called metastasizing, a leading cause of cancer death. Breast cancer is common cancer in women worldwide. Multiple factors are related to an increased risk of breast cancer, like family history, obesity, processed foods intake, and physical inactivity. This retrospective cross-sectional study was designed to assess the prescription pattern of anticancer drugs in breast cancer patients in the oncology unit at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH). Female patients aged ≥ 18 years diagnosed with breast cancer as the first occurring primary cancer type and received at least one treatment, who were admitted from January 2018 to December 2020 at SQUH constituted the sample. A total of 191 patients were included in this study. Most patients received an average of 4.73 anticancer drugs. The most commonly prescribed medication was Anthracycline, Cyclophosphamide, and Docetaxel (AC-D) regimen, used in 33.5% of patients. Cyclophosphamide was the most commonly prescribed drug, followed by Doxorubicin and Docetaxel. The total drug expenditure on anticancer therapy in the whole course of therapies was approximately 1.655 million Omani Riyals (OR). Targeted therapy represented three-quarters of the total spending (75%), Whereas Chemotherapy and Hormonal therapy represented one-quarter, 20% and 5%, respectively. Our study's prescription pattern of anticancer drugs is comparable with previous studies conducted in different countries. Different drug prescription guidelines from one setting to another may contribute to the differences between our study and previous studies. Our findings show how analyzing drug prescription patterns can help institutions manage inventory and use healthcare resources more efficiently.