Many With Early Breast Cancer Don't Get Enough Chemotherapy

Fewer than half of women with early stage breast cancer receive their full, recommended dose of chemotherapy, according to data published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

University of Rochester researchers found that 56 percent of 20,799 women treated for early stage breast cancer nationwide received less than 85 percent of their prescribed chemotherapy dose intensity due to treatment delays or dose reductions.

Previous studies have demonstrated that receiving less than 85 percent of the recommended dose intensity can result in lower survival rates for women with breast cancer.

"Far too many patients are not receiving the chemotherapy doses they need in order to have the best chance of remission or cure," according to Dr. Gary H. Lyman.

In 25 percent of the cases, patients saw treatment delays of more than a week and 37 percent had chemotherapy dose reductions due to common side effects of treatment, Lynam said.

The primary cause of chemotherapy delays and dose reductions is neutropenia, a shortage of infection-fighting white blood cells that is a common side effect of chemotherapy.

According to the study, an unusually large number of patients age 65 and older were found to be significantly less likely to receive the recommended dose of chemotherapy, even though studies have shown that elderly patients can benefit from chemotherapy as much as younger patients.

The researchers report that about two-thirds of older patients received less than 85 percent of the recommended chemotherapy dose.

Other Sources: University of Rochester Medical Center