Obesity, comorbidities, and treatment selection in Black and White women with early breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates obesity and comorbidity in Black and White women with early breast cancer (stages I-III) and their potential impact on treatment decisions for patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) tumors. METHODS: In this retrospective chart review, comparisons of frequencies for Black and White patients were calculated with the Fisher exact test. Log binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% confidence intervals for total and individual comorbidities, and multivariable modeling was used to estimate PRs adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: In a sample of 548 patients, 26% were Black, and 74% were White. Sixty-two percent of Black patients and 32% of White patients were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 ; P < .0001). Seventy-five percent of Black patients and 87% of White patients had HR+ tumors (P = .001). Significant intergroup differences were seen for 2 or more total comorbidities (62% of Blacks vs 47% of Whites; P = .001), 2 or more obesity-related comorbidities (33% vs 10%; P < .0001), hypertension (60% vs 32%; P < .0001), diabetes mellitus (23% vs 6%; P < .0001), hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia (28% vs 18%; P = .02), and hypothyroidism (4% vs 11%; P = .012). In women with HR+/HER2- tumors, there were no intergroup differences in treatment decisions regarding the type of surgery, chemotherapy regimen, radiation, or endocrine treatment despite significant differences in the prevalence of obesity and comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: This study documents significant disparities between Black and White women with early breast cancer with regard to high rates of obesity, overall comorbidities, and obesity-related comorbidities, and it highlights the prevalence of competing risks that may complicate outcomes in breast cancer.

Patient-reported symptom severity, interference with daily activities, and adverse events in older and younger women receiving chemotherapy for early breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: To the authors' knowledge, it is unknown whether patient-reported symptom severity and symptom interference with daily activities differ between younger (aged <65 years) and older (aged ≥65 years) women receiving similar chemotherapy regimens for early breast cancer (EBC). METHODS: Study participants rated 17 side effects of chemotherapy regimens currently in use in clinical practice (2014-2019). RESULTS: Of 284 women with EBC (stage I-III), approximately 57% were aged <65 years and 43% were aged ≥65 years. For anthracycline-based regimens, a higher percentage of younger women reported moderate, severe, or very severe (MSVS) hot flashes (49% vs 18%) (P < .001). For nonanthracycline regimens, a higher percentage of younger women reported MSVS hot flashes (38% vs 19%) (P = .009) and a lower percentage reported MSVS arthralgia (28% vs 49%) (P = .005). With regard to symptom interference with daily activities, a higher percentage of younger women being treated with anthracycline-based regimens reported MSVS hot flashes (32% vs 7%) (P = .001) and myalgia (38% vs 18%) (P = .02). For nonanthracycline chemotherapy, a higher percentage of younger women reported MSVS interference for hot flashes (26% vs 9%) (P = .006) and lower percentages reported abdominal pain (13% vs 28%) (P = .02). Overall, there were no significant differences noted among younger versus older patients with regard to hospitalizations (19% vs 12%; P = .19), dose reductions (34% vs 31%; P = .50), dose delays (22% vs 25%; P = .59), or early treatment discontinuation (16% vs 16%; P = .9546). CONCLUSIONS: Older and younger women with EBC who were treated with identical chemotherapy regimens generally experienced similar levels of symptom severity, symptom-related interference with daily activities, and adverse events. LAY SUMMARY: In this study, women receiving chemotherapy for early breast cancer rated the severity of 17 symptoms and symptom interference with their activities of daily living. Older (aged ≥65 years) and younger (aged <65 years) women who received identical chemotherapy regimens generally experienced similar levels of symptom severity, symptom-related interference with daily activities, and adverse events.

Emergency department visits and hospitalizations in older women treated for early stage breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Older patients with cancer often require acute care treatment through emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. This study investigates acute care utilization through ED visits and hospitalizations during treatment and in the two years following the completion of primary treatment for early stage breast cancer (EBC) in women aged 65 and older. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis including descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, and relative risk analysis of 256 women with EBC was performed through medical record review of demographics, comorbidities, disease characteristics, treatment details, and causes of hospitalizations and ED visits. RESULTS: Both hospitalizations and ED visits were significantly more frequent for patients in the post-primary treatment period compared to during treatment (hospitalizations: 22% post-primary treatment vs 13% during treatment, 95% confidence interval [CI] of true difference = 2.5%-15.5; ED visits: 21% post-primary treatment vs 10% during treatment, 95% CI of true difference = 4.8%-17.2%). Both hospitalizations (79% versus 32%, 95% CI of true difference = 28.7%-65.3%) and ED visits (42% versus 12%, 95% CI of true difference = 9.1%-50.9%) were more often breast cancer related during primary treatment compared to following treatment. Following treatment, EBC related hospitalizations were most often for disease progression (42%) and EBC related ED visits were most often for post-systemic therapy complications (43%). Significant predictors for EBC related hospitalizations in the two years following treatment included stage III disease (relative risk [RR] = 8.77, 95% CI = 2.50-30.82), having underwent mastectomy (RR = 12.51, 95% CI = 2.91-53.78), and having received chemotherapy (RR = 3.95, 95% CI = 1.18-13.23). However, chemotherapy does not appear to be a significant predictor for hospitalization when controlling for stage III disease (RR = 2.22, 95% CI = 0.61-8.05), whereas stage III disease remains a significant risk factor when controlling for chemotherapy (RR = 6.09, 95% CI = 1.58-23.52). DISCUSSION: Our findings suggests that stage III disease, undergoing mastectomy, and chemotherapy treatment predict higher likelihood of EBC related hospitalization following primary treatment in older EBC patients, with stage III disease likely the strongest risk factor.

Age and competing concerns in treatment selection for women with non-metastatic HR+ and HER2- breast cancer: Current clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Newer adjuvant treatment options for non-metastatic breast cancer have increased survival. There is a need to investigate whether demographic and clinical characteristics of women with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth receptor 2-negative non-metastatic breast cancer (stages I-III) differentially influence treatment decisions in older (age 65 or older) versus younger patients (under age 65). METHODS: In a retrospective electronic medical record review, prevalence ratio with 95% confidence interval for treatment decisions in older vs younger patients was calculated using log binomial regression adjusted for race, stage, and total number of comorbidities. RESULTS: In a sample of 537 patients, 66% were age < 65 and 34% age ≥ 65. Older patients included a higher proportion of White women (85% vs 75%, P = .02), higher number of comorbidities (P ≤0.0001), and lower stage tumors (P = .0004). In multivariable analysis, age ≥ 65 was independently associated with fewer mastectomies (95% CI 0.65-0.96, P = .02), more lumpectomies (95% CI 1.05-1.42, P = .01), and less receipt of radiation treatment (95% CI 0.78-0.97, P = .01) and/or chemotherapy (95% CI 0.73-0.95, P = .006). In multivariate analysis, stage was independently significant for all treatment modalities, except endocrine therapy, and race was not. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that age, in addition to breast cancer stage, is a predictor of treatment modality, independent of race and number of comorbidities. Treatment modality reflects a combination of patient preference and clinician assessment of fitness for current standard of care.