Fallowfield, L.J, Fleissig, A., Edwards, R., West, A., Powles, T. J., Howell, A. and Cuzick, J. (2001) Tamoxifen for the prevention of breast cancer: psychosocial impact on women participating in two randomized controlled trials. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 19 (7). pp. 1885-92. ISSN 0732-183X

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Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial implications of tamoxifen versus placebo in women who are at increased risk of breast cancer.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: The 488 women in the psychosocial study were recruited from participants in two placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, controlled trials that investigated the efficacy of tamoxifen in the prevention of breast cancer in women who are at high familial risk. During a 5-year period, repeated assessments were made of anxiety, psychological distress, and sexual functioning using standardized questionnaires before treatment at baseline and at 6-month intervals during the trial.
RESULTS: Questionnaire completion over 5 years was good, with 71.1% of women returning at least 8 of 10 follow-up assessments. Although scores from individuals showed considerable fluctuation and variation over time, changes in anxiety, mood, and sexual functioning were not associated with treatment group. The number of symptoms reported at 48 months via a self-report checklist were not associated with treatment group, but vasomotor symptoms were more frequent among tamoxifen-treated women. Symptoms of low energy, breast sensitivity, and visual blurring were reported most frequently in the placebo group.
CONCLUSION: In general, these results are comparable to those from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project psychosocial study despite differences in study populations, methodology, and instruments. The long-term use of tamoxifen and other selective estrogen response modulators as preventive agents in high-risk groups has been questioned, but we found no evidence of treatment-related side effects that affect women's psychosocial and sexual functioning.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Clinical Trial, Randomized Controlled Trial
Schools and Departments:	Brighton and Sussex Medical School > Sussex Health Outcomes Research & Education in Cancer (SHORE-C)
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General) R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0001 Medicine and the state. Including medical statistics, medical economics, provisions for medical care, medical sociology > RA0418 Medicine and society. Social medicine. Medical sociology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0254 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology Including cancer and carcinogens
Depositing User:	Tracy Woodcock
Date Deposited:	09 Nov 2011 10:26
Last Modified:	30 Nov 2012 16:55
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/6992
Google Scholar:	91 Citations

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