Use of alternative therapy in postmenopausal breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen after surgery.

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study was to determine the frequency of alternative therapy use in postmenopausal women with early stage breast cancer who were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial designed to determine the value of breast irradiation after treatment with breast-conserving surgery and tamoxifen. A questionnaire was given to 300 patients, ages 52 to 90 years, after completion of radiation therapy (if any). Of the 290 respondents, 78 (27%) had used some form of alternative therapy. Of these, 60.3% started after the diagnosis of breast cancer. Users of alternative therapies were significantly younger than nonusers (67.0 +/- 8.4 years versus 70.0 +/- 8.7 years, p = 0.009) and they used a median of one type of therapy per person (range 1-13). Users of alternative therapies were more likely to have experienced symptoms (stiffness, pain, numbness, or swelling) in the ipsilateral shoulder or arm after treatment of their breast cancers compared to nonusers (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0, p = 0.02). This relationship between alternative therapy use and symptoms was strongest in the group who started alternative therapies after breast cancer diagnosis (OR = 2.1, p = 0.05). On multivariate analysis, younger age and radiotherapy treatment were related to alternative therapy use. In conclusion, 27% of patients with early stage breast cancer used alternative therapy. Users were more likely to be younger and to experience shoulder or arm symptoms after breast-conserving surgery with radiation.