The story provides the estimated annual cost of hospital visits for chemotherapy-related side effects. The story explains that chemotherapy may be of limited benefit to many women, especially since the incidence of serious side effects is greater than previously estimated. The story provides balance on the risks and benefits of chemotherapy. There is discussion of informed decision making and the importance of weighing the absolute benefit of more treatment with the risks of experiencing serious side effects. The story mentions underreporting of chemotherapy side effects in large clinical trials is due, in part, to the characteristics of participants in clinical trials. Results from clinical trials serve only as a guide and may not provide an accurate estimation of individual risk, especially for younger women or women with co-existing health conditions. The story discusses the study design and the importance of the results for women making decisions about chemotherapy as part of their breast cancer treatment. The story provides evidence of greater incidence of side effects in younger (<63 years), insured women treated with chemotherapy vs. women who did not undergo chemotherapy. The story does not engage in disease mongering. The story appropriately does not advocate chemotherapy for all breast cancer patients. The story discusses targeted treatment for those who would benefit most from this therapy. The story discusses the outcomes of the study with study authors and the federal agency that funded this study. A researcher who wrote an editorial in the publishing journal is cited to provide perspective on the results. The story mentions surgery, radiation, hormone therapy and chemotherapy and the option that a woman might choose different combinations of these treatments. Chemotherapy has been a standard treatment for breast cancer for many years. The story mentions that for some women the attempt to prevent a breast cancer recurrence may not include chemotherapy, depending on her risk of recurrence. The idea of individualizing treatment via molecular profiling is new. The idea that some women at low risk of cancer recurrence and higher risk of serious side effects might decide to skip chemotherapy is also a newer approach to treatment. That there is a higher incidence of serious complications in routine care than when treatments are administered in trials is not new, but this study provides a good estimate for the likelihood of complications in routine care using claims data from large population of patients. The article does not appear to rely on a press release.
Chemo’s toll on breast cancer patients underestimated