Women not taking breast cancer drugs, finds study

MORE than half of women on medication for breast cancer either forget to take their drugs or choose not to do so at some point during their treatment, according to new research.

Most women who skipped medication forgot to take it but about one in six made a deliberate decision not to take it, a study in next month’s European Journal of Cancer has shown.

The reasons for not taking medication included finding tablets hard to swallow, difficulty in coping with side-effects, or finding it a constant reminder of their illness.

Treatment for breast cancer usually involves surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, often followed by a daily hormone tablet or monthly injection for up to five years.

The findings were based on interviews with 131 women who were at least two years past their initial breast cancer diagnosis.

Of those interviewed, 72 said there were times when they didn’t take their medication. Twelve said this was at times intentional. But the majority said they forgot.

Lead author Louise Atkins, based at Cancer Research UK psychosocial oncology group at the University of Sussex, said: “If we can understand more about the reasons why some women don’t take their medication, then we’ll be in a better position to help women overcome these difficulties.”