Patients with DCIS Seen at a Specialized High-Risk Breast Clinic Run by Surgical Advanced Practice Providers Have High Rates of Preventive Medication Uptake.

BACKGROUND

Preventative medication (PM) uptake is low among patients at an elevated risk of breast cancer, largely due to fears of intolerance. This study aimed to investigate whether a new, surgical advanced practice provider (APP)-run clinic was effectively prescribing PM. We hypothesized equivalent rates of PM uptake compared to consultation with medical oncologists (MD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The APP-run clinic and accompanying database were initiated 01/2023, including patients with benign breast complaints and/or an elevated risk of invasive breast cancer. A historic single-institution surgical database and this prospective database were queried for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ between 04/2007-05/2023 and 01/2023-01/2024, respectively. Patients with invasive breast cancer within the prior 5 years were excluded. Chart review abstracted PM type/dose. Chi square analysis compared PM uptake rates and dose.

RESULTS

A total of 523 patients met study criteria; the MD sample and APP sample were relatively well balanced except fewer hormone receptor positive patients in the MD sample (266/309 [86.1%] versus 202/214 [94.4%] APP, p < 0.01). PM uptake was lower in the MD sample (96/309 [31.1%] compared to the APP sample (86/214 [40.2%], p = 0.03). There was significantly more tamoxifen prescribed among the APP sample (58.2% vs. 35.6% among MD, p = 0.02), and low-dose tamoxifen prescribing increased significantly (47.3% vs. 9.8% MD, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our surgical APP-run breast health clinic has demonstrated equivalent PM uptake as compared to patients seen previously by medical oncologists. This model should be considered broadly. Additionally, low-dose tamoxifen has become the prescription of choice; thus, long-term studies of tamoxifen 5 mg are warranted.