Breast Cancer
Conditions
Keywords
breast cancer
Brief summary
RATIONALE: A patient's age, health, and ability to perform daily activities may affect which treatment options are offered by doctors to older and/or frail women with breast cancer. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the views and attitudes of oncologists and geriatricians on the use of chemotherapy and hormone therapy in treating older and/or frail women with breast cancer.
Detailed description
OBJECTIVES: * Evaluate the attitudes and perspectives of 150 oncologists and 150 geriatricians or primary care providers regarding the adjuvant treatment of older women with breast cancer of varying ages, health, and functional status. * Determine whether homogeneity exists in treatment recommendations. * Determine the relative impact of chronological age, baseline health, and functional status on treatment recommendations. OUTLINE: Participants complete a 25-minute online survey regarding their treatment recommendations for older women with breast cancer of varying ages, health, and functional status. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 300 participants will be accrued for this study.
Interventions
Sponsors
Study design
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Participants must meet 1 of the following criteria: * Oncologist: * Must have been in practice ≥ 2 years * Must have ≥ 25 postmenopausal breast cancer patients on adjuvant hormonal therapy * Cannot work for an advertising agency, market research company, manufacturer or distributor of pharmaceutical products, a pharmacy, drug store, or the FDA * Geriatrician: * Must have been in practice ≥ 2 years * Must be a general practitioner, family practitioner, internal medicine specialist, or geriatrician and received a certificate of added qualification in geriatric medicine and/or treating at least 5 postmenopausal patients who have a history of breast cancer or are currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer * Cannot work for an advertising agency, market research company, manufacturer or distributor of pharmaceutical products, a pharmacy, drug store, or the FDA PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Not specified PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * Not specified
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Attitudes and perspectives of health professionals | — |
| Homogeneity of treatment recommendations | — |
| Relative impact of chronological age, baseline health, and functional status on treatment recommendations | — |