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Poster display session: Breast cancer - early stage, locally advanced & metastatic, CNS tumours, Developmental therapeutics, Genitourinary tumours - prostate & non-prostate, Palliative care, Psycho-oncology, Public health policy, Sarcoma, Supportive care

4967 - Physicians’ knowledge, attitudes and practice towards fertility and pregnancy-related issues in BRCA-mutated breast cancer (BC) patients (pts): results from the BCY3/BCC 2017 survey

Date

22 Oct 2018

Session

Poster display session: Breast cancer - early stage, locally advanced & metastatic, CNS tumours, Developmental therapeutics, Genitourinary tumours - prostate & non-prostate, Palliative care, Psycho-oncology, Public health policy, Sarcoma, Supportive care

Topics

Supportive Care and Symptom Management;  Targeted Therapy;  Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA)

Tumour Site

Breast Cancer

Presenters

Matteo Lambertini

Citation

Annals of Oncology (2018) 29 (suppl_8): viii603-viii640. 10.1093/annonc/mdy300

Authors

M. Lambertini1, M. Di Maio2, F. Poggio3, O. Pagani4, G. Curigliano5, L. Del Mastro6, S. Paluch-Shimon7, S. Loibl8, A.H. Partridge9, H.A. Azim Jr.10, F.A. Peccatori11, I. Demeestere12

Author affiliations

  • 1 Medical Oncology, Institute Jules Bordet, 1000 - Brussels/BE
  • 2 Department Of Oncology, University of Turin, 10128 - Turin/IT
  • 3 Medical Oncology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST-Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, 16132 - Genova/IT
  • 4 Breast Unit, Institute of Oncology of Southern Switzerland, Lugano/CH
  • 5 Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies Division, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, 20141 - Milan/IT
  • 6 Internal Medicine, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST-Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, 16132 - Genova/IT
  • 7 Medical Oncology, Shaare Zedek M.C, 52621 - Jerusalem/IL
  • 8 Department Of Medicine And Research, German Breast Group (GBG) Forschungs GmbH, 63263 - Neu-Isenburg/DE
  • 9 Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MA 02215, - Boston/US
  • 10 Internal Medicine, American University of beirut, Beirut/LB
  • 11 Fertility And Procreation Unit, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, 20141 - Milan/IT
  • 12 Fertility Clinic, Hopital Erasme, 1070 - Brussels/BE

Resources

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Abstract 4967

Background

No data are available on physicians’ knowledge, attitudes and practice towards fertility and pregnancy-related issues in BRCA-mutated BC pts.

Methods

A 26-item survey exploring fertility preservation and pregnancy after BC was emailed to physicians attending the 2016 3rd ESO-ESMO BCY3 and the 2017 15th St. Gallen BCC 2017 conferences. The present analysis investigated potential differences in physicians’ knowledge, attitudes and practice towards these issues in BC pts with or without BRCA mutations. The McNemar test for paired proportions was used for statistical comparison.

Results

The survey was completed by 273 physicians (105 at BCY3 and 168 at BCC 2017) with a median age of 46 years (range 38-55); the majority were medical oncologists (56%) practicing in an academic setting (86%). A comparable proportion of respondents suggested the use of either embryo (43% vs. 39%; p = 0.11) or oocyte (62% vs. 63%; p = 0.77) cryopreservation as available options for BC pts with or without BRCA mutations, respectively. Conversely, ovarian tissue cryopreservation (33% vs. 40%; p = 0.009) and GnRHa during chemotherapy (74% vs. 81%; p = 0.001) were less commonly suggested in BRCA-mutated BC pts than in BC pts without BRCA mutations. 42% agreed or were neutral on the statement that controlled ovarian stimulation should not be considered safe in BRCA-mutated BC pts. 45% and 30% agreed or were neutral on the statement that pregnancy in BC survivors may increase the risk of recurrence in BRCA-mutated BC pts and in BC pts overall, respectively (p < 0.001). 15% and 3% disagreed that transplanting the cryopreserved ovarian tissue harvested at the time of BC diagnosis can be considered safe in pts with or without BRCA mutations, respectively (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

These results highlight the presence of several misconceptions on fertility preservation and pregnancy after BC that persist even among physicians directly involved in BC care. Focused research efforts to address fertility and pregnancy-related issues in BRCA-mutated BC pts and education to improve physicianś knowledge and adherence to available guidelines are urgently needed.

Clinical trial identification

Legal entity responsible for the study

Matteo Lambertini.

Funding

Has not received any funding,

Editorial Acknowledgement

Disclosure

M. Lambertini: Support from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) for a Translational Research Fellowship at the Institut Jules Bordet (Brussels, Belgium). All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

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