An electronic non-interventional pharmacovigilance study of early-stage breast cancer patients on adjuvant treatment with anastrozole (Arimidex®)

• Published in: Türk onkoloji dergisi 2011-01, Vol.26 (2)
• Main Authors: Uskent, Necdet, Çökmez, Atilla, Atahan, Murat Kemal, Aksaz, Erol, Güler, Nilüfer, Müslümanoğlu, Mahmut, Özmen, Vahit
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; tur
• Subjects: Androgens; Biosynthesis; Breast cancer; Cancer therapies; Drug use; Dyspnea; Estrogens; Gynecology; Muscle pain; Patient compliance; Physicians; Vagina; Womens health
• ISSN: 1300-7467; 2717-8978
• DOI: 10.5505/tjoncol.2011.547

OBJECTIVES To identify adverse events profile of patients with breast cancer in Turkey during use of anastrozole. METHODS Between 2001-2006, 874 postmenopausal women with earlystage breast-cancer treated with anastrozole (1 mg/day) were included. We used electronic case report forms at 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th and 24th months after the 1st visit. RESULTS Mean age of the patients was 60.2±9.6 years. Mean follow-up period was 11.7±7.5 months. Anastrozole was discontinued in 17 (1.9%) patients due to cancer recurrence during observation period. Thirty-five adverse events (16-mild, 3-moderate, 16-severe) were identified in 18 patients. In 4 patients treatment was discontinued. Of the patients attending followup visits %90 experienced no difficulties in taking treatment as prescribed, and 82% and 88% took treatment exactly as prescribed in 6th and 7th visits, respectively. CONCLUSION Compliance and drug tolerability assessments revealed that Anastrozole was well tolerated in 83.2% of the patients, and treatment compliance was high in 81.7% of the patients.