US Oncologist Survey: Optimizing Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Countries covered: United States Download Sample Treatment decisions for advanced stages of breast cancer are difficult to track as information quickly changes along with the introduction of new products that all have an impact oncologists’ choices. This series of reports will allow you to see what is actually happening at the patient level for different types of patients presenting with a wide range of issues in advanced stages of cancer. Primary research on the oncology prescribing data that you are missing, directly from high-prescribing US oncologists regarding metastatice breast cancer: what they prescribe, when, and why. Case highlights include: Triple negative metastatic breast cancer Triple positive metastatic breast cancer ER/PR positive HER2neu negative metastatic breast cancer Metastatic breast cancer with multiple comorbidities This report allows you to: Understand what occurs in the oncologist’s office with actual patients Access the most up-to-date prescribing trends Gain actionable data for developing & improving market strategies Pinpoint needs of your target audience Design messages to advance brand performance Focus resources to maximize the effectiveness of your budget Understand where your competitor’s product fits

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Report Excerpt

Introduction

Breast cancers are classified by whether or not they express the genes for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu). These three receptors are known to help the cancers develop, and the most successful breast cancer treatments are hormone-based drugs that directly target these receptors. Breast cancers that have spread to distant sites remain largely incurable; they are managed by various combinations of therapies. The goals of treatment are focused on prolonging overall survival without having a negative impact on quality of life. Optimizing treatment involves an individualized approach based on a number of factors, including previous regimens and responses to them, the specific tumor biology, growth rate of the disease, risks for toxicity, and patient preference and comorbidities. The relative benefits and toxicities of various regimens are important considerations.

The use of combination therapy versus monotherapy or sequential single agents remains a strongly debated issue. As evidence of the controversial nature of the treatment approaches, the FDA recently announced its decision recommending withdrawing Avastin (bevacizumab) as a treatment for breast cancer, although the decision is being appealed. Since there is currently no single standard of care for the management of metastatic breast cancers and since practice patterns vary widely, the purpose of this report is to provide updated data on how U.S. oncologists currently manage ER/PR positive HER2/neu negative metastatic breast cancer.