Venigalla S, et al. - Researchers analyzed trends, patterns of use, and effectiveness of adjuvant endocrine therapy among men with hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer in the United States. They found that, although adjuvant endocrine therapy was associated with improved overall survival, there was a sex disparate underuse of adjuvant endocrine therapy among men with HR-positive breast cancer.

Methods

• This retrospective cohort study included patients in the National Cancer Database with breast cancer who had received treatment from 2004-2014.
• Males aged 18 years and over with nonmetastatic HR-positive invasive breast cancer who had been treated surgically with or without adjuvant endocrine therapy were included in the primary study cohort.
• The same inclusion criteria were applied to identify a cohort of female patients for comparative analyses by sex.
• From October 1, 2017, to December 15, 2017, data analysis was performed.
• They used multivariable logistic regression analyses to evaluate the patterns of adjuvant endocrine therapy use.
• They used propensity score-weighted multivariable Cox regression models to evaluate link between adjuvant endocrine therapy use and overall survival.

Results

• A total of 10,173 men with HR-positive breast cancer and 961,676 women with HR-positive breast cancer were included in the primary study cohort and the comparative cohort, respectively.
• The male cohort was followed-up for a median duration of 49.6 months.
• Presentation with HR-positive disease was more frequent among men than women.
• However, receipt of adjuvant endocrine therapy was less likely in eligible men vs women.
• In men, adjuvant endocrine therapy use was observed in statistically significant association with treatment at academic facilities and receipt of adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
• Improved overall survival was noted in relation to adjuvant endocrine therapy use in men vs no use, as revealed in a propensity score-weighted analysis.