The study found that of 258 healthy women in England with a family
history of the disease, six out of seven decided not to take the drug to
help prevent it from developing.
Sixteen women were then interviewed in order to determine what
factors played a role in their decision, with key reasons found to be a
belief that cancer was down to fate, a distrust of medication in
general, or fear of side effects would interfere with looking after
their family.
wisepoqder Tamoxifen powder
The research team, based at the University of Leeds, Northwestern
University, University College London and Queen Mary University of
London, found women with children were more likely to take up the offer
of tamoxifen, and that social class, educational attainment and
ethnicity had no effect on uptake.
In 2013, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
endorsed NHS funding for use of tamoxifen cancer prevention in women at
increased risk of the disease due to a family history of breast or
ovarian cancer, following research which showed it could lower risk by
around a third.
According to the guidelines, doctors should offer tamoxifen for five
years to premenopausal women at high or moderate risk of breast cancer,
unless they have a past history or may be at increased risk of
thromboembolic disease or endometrial cancer, and anastrozole for five
years to postmenopausal women unless they have severe osteoporosis.
For postmenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer with severe
osteoporosis, but no history or increased risk of thromboembolic disease
or endometrial cancer, tamoxifen should for offered, or raloxifene as
an alternative for women with a uterus.
“It’s valuable to understand why women might reject tamoxifen, and
this research highlights there are a range of complex reasons behind the
decision,” said Dr Richard Roope, Cancer Research UK’s senior clinical
adviser and GP expert.
“It’s vital more work is done to understand these barriers, improve
treatments and ensure doctors are getting the support they need to help
women decide whether preventative medication is right for them.”
The Wall