Concomitant medication, comorbidity and survival in patients with breast cancer.

Between 30% and 70% of patients with breast cancer have pre-existing chronic conditions, and more than half are on long-term non-cancer medication at the time of diagnosis. Preliminary epidemiological evidence suggests that some non-cancer medications may affect breast cancer risk, recurrence, and survival. In this nationwide cohort study, we assessed the association between medication use at breast cancer diagnosis and survival. We included 235,368 French women with newly diagnosed non-metastatic breast cancer. In analyzes of 288 medications, we identified eight medications positively associated with either overall survival or disease-free survival: rabeprazole, alverine, atenolol, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, estriol (vaginal or transmucosal), nomegestrol, and hypromellose; and eight medications negatively associated with overall survival or disease-free survival: ferrous fumarate, prednisolone, carbimazole, pristinamycin, oxazepam, alprazolam, hydroxyzine, and mianserin. Full results are available online from an interactive platform ( https://adrenaline.curie.fr ). This resource provides hypotheses for drugs that may naturally influence breast cancer evolution.

Breast Cancer Care Pathways for Women with Preexisting Severe Mental Disorders: Evidence of Disparities in France?

The excess cancer mortality in persons with severe mental illness (SMI) has been well documented, and research suggests that it may be influenced by care-related factors. Our objective was to assess breast cancer care pathways in women with SMI in France, using an exhaustive population-based data-linkage study with a matched case-control design. The cases were 1346 women with incident breast cancer in 2013/2014 and preexisting SMI who were matched with three controls without SMI presenting similar demographics, initial breast cancer type, and year of incidence. We compared cancer care pathways and their quality for cases and controls, using a consensual set of indicators covering diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and mortality (until 2017). After adjusting for covariates, cases had lower odds to undergo the main diagnostic tests, lumpectomy, adjuvant chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as hormone therapy, but higher odds for mastectomy. Suboptimal quality in cancer pathways was observed for both groups, but to a higher extent for cases, especially for not receiving timely care after diagnosis and post-treatment follow-up. Breast cancer mortality, considering competing risks of deaths, was significantly elevated in women with SMI. These findings highlight disparities in cancer care pathways for individuals with SMI, as well as specific aspects of the care continuum which could benefit from targeted actions to reach equity of outcomes.

The French Early Breast Cancer Cohort (FRESH): A Resource for Breast Cancer Research and Evaluations of Oncology Practices Based on the French National Healthcare System Database (SNDS).

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. The French National Cancer Institute has created a national cancer cohort to promote cancer research and improve our understanding of cancer using the National Health Data System (SNDS) and amalgamating all cancer sites. So far, no detailed separate data are available for early BC. OBJECTIVES: To describe the creation of the French Early Breast Cancer Cohort (FRESH). METHODS: All French women aged 18 years or over, with early-stage BC newly diagnosed between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2017, treated by surgery, and registered in the general health insurance coverage plan were included in the cohort. Patients with suspected locoregional or distant metastases at diagnosis were excluded. BC treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and endocrine therapy), and diagnostic procedures (biopsy, cytology, and imaging) were extracted from hospital discharge reports, outpatient care notes, or pharmacy drug delivery data. The BC subtype was inferred from the treatments received. RESULTS: We included 235,368 patients with early BC in the cohort (median age: 60 years). The BC subtype distribution was as follows: luminal (80.2%), triple-negative (TNBC, 9.5%); HER2+ (10.3%), or unidentifiable (n = 44,388, 18.9% of the cohort). Most patients underwent radiotherapy (n = 200,685, 85.3%) and endocrine therapy (n = 165,655, 70.4%), and 38.3% (n = 90,252) received chemotherapy. Treatments and care pathways are described. CONCLUSIONS: The FRESH Cohort is an unprecedented population-based resource facilitating future large-scale real-life studies aiming to improve care pathways and quality of care for BC patients.

Monitoring Breast Cancer Care Quality at National and Local Level Using the French National Cancer Cohort.

PURPOSE: The French National Cancer Institute has developed, in partnership with the French National Authority for Health, breast cancer-specific Care Quality, and Safety Indicators (BC QIs). With regard to the most common form of cancer, our aim is to support local and national quality initiatives, to improve BC pathways and outcomes, reduce heterogeneity of practice and regional inequities. In this study, we measure the BC QIs available in the French National medico-administrative cancer database, the French Cancer Cohort, for 2018. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BC QIs are developed according to the RAND method. QIs are based on good clinical practice and care pathway recommendations. QI computation should be automatable without any additional workload for data collection. They will be published annually for all stakeholders, and especially hospitals. RESULTS: Finally, ten feasible and pertinent QIs were selected. In France, BC care was found to be close to compliance with most QIs: proportion of patients undergoing biopsy prior to first treatment (94.5%), proportion of patients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery for BC (94.5%), proportion of women undergoing radiotherapy within 12 weeks after surgery and without chemotherapy (86.2%), proportion of DCIS patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction (54.3%) and proportion of women with NMIBC undergoing breast reintervention (14.4%). However, some are still far from their recommended rate. In particular, some QIs vary considerably from one region, or one patient, to another. CONCLUSION: Each result needs to be analyzed locally to find care quality leverage. This will strengthen transparency actions aimed at the public.

Impact of catch-up human papillomavirus vaccination on cervical conization rate in a real-life population in France.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of catch-up human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on conization rates in France in a large population-based study. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective real-life cohort study on data collected prospectively by French National Health Insurance. Echantillon généralistes des bénéficiaires (EGB) is a database composed of demographic and health care utilization data for a 1/97th sample of the French population. We extracted data about all women born between 1983 and 1991, corresponding to the catch-up population (vaccination after 14 years old) at the time of implementation of HPV vaccination. The primary outcome was the occurrence of conization (all types of procedures) compared between vaccinated and non-vaccinated women. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 42,452 women. Vaccination coverage (at least one dose) was low (9.8%, n = 4,129), but increased with time from vaccine implementation, from 0% in the 1983 cohort to 31% in the 1991 cohort. The conization rate was 1% for the overall population. The risk of conization for women between the ages of 19 and 30 years was reduced in the vaccinated group with a Hazard Ratio (HR) of 0.59 (95% CI[0.39-0.90]; p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: With a 10-year follow-up, catch-up HPV vaccination is associated with risk reduction of conization between the ages of 19 and 30.

Pattern of relapse in low-risk breast cancer patients followed within a community care network.

International guidelines have set the frame and methods of patients' surveillance after early breast cancer (BC) treatment. Since 1998, delegation of low-risk BC patients follow-up to nonhospital practitioners has been developed within a care network in the Paris region. We used the Gynecomed care network digital database to describe the characteristics of oncological events which occurred in the cohort, and to assess the quality of BC follow-up in relapsing patients. Events were defined as any local, contralateral, or metastatic recurrence, as well as second cancer or death due to any cause. We developed a ranked evaluation method of our surveillance program. Among the 3019 patients followed in the network, 116 (4.3%) patients had 116 events. Median follow-up was 7.1 years (0-51). First events were local-regional relapses, contralateral BCs, metastatic events, second primaries in respectively 52, 26, 14, 24 cases. During the first 5 years, 68.4% of surveillance visits were performed on time, 13.5% were behind schedule and 18.1% were not performed, while 79.1% of mammographies were performed on time, 7.7% behind schedule, and 13.2% were not performed. On schedule examinations allowed diagnosis of 77% of the local-regional, ipsilateral relapses or contralateral BCs, including 38 (69%) discovered by mammographies and 17 (31%) by clinical examination. A nonhospital practitioner care network is able to comply with good surveillance practices and deliver high quality surveillance, in accordance with international guidelines. Delegation of low-risk BC surveillance to nonhospital practitioners is reliable.

Out-of-hospital follow-up after low risk breast cancer within a care network: 14-year results.

The delegation of low-risk breast cancer patients' follow-up to non-hospital practitionners (NHP), including gynaecologists and general practitioners, has been assessed prospectively within a care network in the Paris region. Patients with early stage breast cancer were eligible. The follow-up protocol was built according to international guidelines. By 2012, 289 NHPs were following 2266 patients treated in 11 centres. Median follow-up time was 7.4 years. The mean intervals between two consecutive consultations were 9.5 [9.2-9.8] months for women supposed to be monitored every 6 months and 12.5 [12.2-12.8] for those requiring annual monitoring. The relapse rate was 3.2% [2.1-4.3] at 5 years and 7.8% [5.9-9.7] at 10 years. Seventy one percent of relapses were diagnosed on a scheduled assessment. Only 6% were lost-to-follow-up. Delegating follow-up after low risk breast cancer to NHPs in a care network is feasible, well accepted and provides an alternative to follow-up in specialized centres.

[Breast cancer follow-up by primary care physician: patient satisfaction in the Metropolitan Paris region]. / Suivi en ville après un cancer du sein : satisfaction des patientes dans le Réseau Gynécomed Île-de-France.

Because of increasing breast cancer incidence and improvement in long-term prognosis, follow-up of patients cannot be carried out entirely in specialized cancer centres. The Réseau Gynécomed was created to transfer the follow-up of patients to primary care physicians (PCP). In 2009, to evaluate the quality of PCP follow-up, a satisfaction study was performed for the 1,245 women followed after breast cancer. Sixty-four percent of the women participate in the study. Before starting follow-up, 87% were informed about its purpose and 93% about its schedule. The satisfaction score was excellent (91%). Old age, perception of a good health status, a high quality of information about and a confident relationship with their PCP were associated with a better satisfaction level. Forty-eight percent of patients thought easy to accept the PCP follow-up. Considering this data, PCP monitoring seems to provide a good follow-up and may be developed. Nonetheless, conditions of patients' choice should be improved and particularly exclude patients with financial difficulties. It would facilitate the growing transfer of follow-up to the PCP.