Household net worth is a major and overlooked factor in adherence to hormonal therapy among breast cancer patients and partially explains racial disparities in quality of care.
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From Medical Express
Household net worth linked to hormonal therapy adherence among patients with breast cancer
the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers from the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City have found that household net worth is a major factor in adherence to hormonal therapy among patients with breast cancer that is often overlooked, possibly explaining racial disparities in quality of care.
In order to study the effect of household net worth on quality of care in patients with breast cancer, the researchers analyzed financial and prescription data on 2,437 women aged 50 years and older with early-stage breast cancer who had been prescribed aromatase inhibitors, such as anastrozole or letrozole, between 2007 and 2011. Results showed that income and net worth were directly associated with medication adherence.
The authors note that the findings suggest that healthcare professionals, health insurers, and policy makers need to consider this economic variable so that patients with breast cancer can receive potentially life-saving treatment.
Healthcare providers must engage their patients in a conversation about whether they will be able to afford their medications, so that a solution can be determined to reduce non-adherence and improve outcomes.
