Patient perception on risk of recurrence and decision-making in the management of HER2-positive early breast cancer: Insights from the ASKHER2 European survey

Abstract

Background

Perceived risk and fear of recurrence in patients with breast cancer (BC) is a matter of concern and may affect their health behaviours and their ability to participate in decision making during their treatment. This survey aimed to examine perceptions and concerns of patients with HER2+ BC.

Materials and methods

A multi-country, non-interventional, direct-to-patient online survey was conducted between July 22, 2022 and March 1, 2023 in six European countries using a multi-modal recruitment approach.

Results

Out of 622 included patients, 96.8 % desired involvement in treatment decisions, and 58.5 % felt they had significant influence in the decision-making process. A total of 20.9 % of patients were unaware of their personal risk of recurrence, and 19.5 % reported not discussing this risk with their healthcare providers. The fear of disease recurrence, death, and treatment failure were identified as the most important concerns. Moreover, 30.4 % perceived they had clear communication with healthcare providers on risk of recurrence. A total of 64.5 % were willing to take extra treatments, 60.2 % to undergo more surgery to reduce recurrence risk and 68.5 % were willing to accept further treatments even if recurrence risk decreased by less than 50 %.

Conclusion

Results of this multinational direct-to-patient study examining the perceptions and concerns of women with HER2+ breast cancer underscore the need for physicians to proactively involve patients in their decision-making process, enabling them to participate in a patient-centred approach during treatment decisions.