Study: Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment Do Not Get Sufficient Attention

Nearly all women experience side effects as a result of breast cancer treatments but some may not be getting sufficient medical attention, according to researchers at the Cancer Research Campaign in England.

A new study has shown a wide variation in the kinds of side effects and symptoms women experience when taking drugs such as tamoxifen and goserelin. The study, part of a wider study of treatment with tamoxifen and goserelin, included 75 patients taking one or both drugs, comparing the symptoms they reported with those recorded on their medical charts.

"The results were striking," said Lesley Fallowfield, professor at the Royal Free and University College Medical Center and lead researcher.

Researchers found that the symptoms in the medical notes often varied considerably from those described by the patients. While 99 percent of women experienced symptoms as a result of therapy, only 89 percent had some kind of side effect recorded in their medical notes.

"Clearly some side effects are being overlooked. And that could well be because our over-stretched cancer doctors simply don't have the time to spend listening to their patients about how they are feeling," said Fallowfield.

There was a significant difference between the frequency of symptoms recorded by the doctor and those self-reported by the patients. As many as 91 percent of the women believed their treatment caused hot flushes, but only 47 percent of the records noted the complaint. Eighty percent of the patients reported gaining weight but this was only reported on 21 percent of the medical notes.

"Some patients don't have a clear idea of what counts as a side effect," reported Fallowfield. Part of the problem could be a matter of terminology.

"In at least one case the interviewee told us she hadn't had any side effects, but when we showed her a list of common symptoms she found she'd had several of them," said Fallowfield.

Fallowfield stressed the need for doctors to be trained in communication skills to make sure that cancer patients are not suffering in silence. Patients cannot make an informed decision about which treatment is best for them without knowing the full effects of the treatment.

Other Sources: Cancer Research Campaign