We sought to identify factors associated with disparities in tamoxifen utilization among young patients at high-risk for developing breast cancer. We identified 67 premenopausal, high-risk women age 35-45, without surgical prophylaxis, who did not initiate tamoxifen. Factors associated with noninitiation were examined. About 37% of patients had no documented provider-based discussion regarding initiation. Type of high-risk diagnosis was the only factor associated with a provider-based discussion (P = .03). For patients offered tamoxifen, primary reasons for noninitiation were perceived minimal benefit (66.7%), fertility concerns (16.7%), and concerns about side effects (7.1%). Implementation of comprehensive educational strategies regarding the benefits of tamoxifen should be facilitated to improve initiation among young high-risk patients.
Keywords: chemoprevention; shared decision making; tamoxifen.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.