Endocrine therapy initiation among women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ from 2001 to 2018.

Purpose: Trials demonstrating benefits of tamoxifen for women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were published > 20 years ago; yet subsequent uptake of endocrine therapy was low. We estimated endocrine therapy initiation in women with DCIS between 2001 and 2018 in a community setting, reflecting more recent years of diagnosis than previous studies.

Methods: This retrospective cohort included adult females ≥ 20 years diagnosed with first primary DCIS between 2001 and 2018, followed through 2019, and enrolled in one of three U.S. integrated healthcare systems. We collected data on endocrine therapy dispensings (tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors [AIs]) from electronic pharmacy records within 12 months after DCIS diagnosis. Using generalized linear models with a log link and Poisson distribution, we estimated endocrine therapy initiation rates over time and by patient, tumor (including estrogen receptor [ER] status), and treatment characteristics.

Results: Among 2020 women with DCIS, 587 (29%) initiated endocrine therapy within 12 months after diagnosis (36% among 1208 women with ER-positive DCIS). Among women who used endocrine therapy, 506 (86%) initiated tamoxifen and 81 (14%) initiated AIs. Age-adjusted endocrine therapy initiation declined from 34 to 21% between 2001 and 2017; between 2015 and 2018, AI use increased from 8 to 35%. Women less likely to initiate endocrine therapy were ER-negative or had borderline/unknown or no ER test results, ≥ 65 years at diagnosis, Black, and received no radiotherapy.

Conclusion: One-third of women diagnosed with DCIS initiated endocrine therapy, and use decreased over time. Understanding why women eligible for endocrine therapy do not initiate is important to maximizing disease-free survival following DCIS diagnosis.