Bigger Role Seen for Breast Cancer Drug
Rating
Bigger Role Seen for Breast Cancer Drug
Our Review Summary
Also longer than the competing AP and USA Today stories, coming in at more than 1,000 words – an increasingly rarer but appreciated treat in journalism these days.
The story makes a good point missing from the USA Today article – that many women who are premenopausal at the time of diagnosis may pass through menopause by the time they finish tamoxifen or experience early menopause as a result of chemotherapy. This is an important point in trying to weigh how beneficial the extra treatment really is for premenopausal women.
Why This Matters
Scientific evidence should be the basis of decision-making in breast cancer treatment; good practice can only follow good science, and this study adds to the body of treatment evidence.
Criteria
Satisfactory
Clearly stated.
Satisfactory
Description of benefits was adequate. Absolute differences between the treatment groups was provided – although AP’s story broke it down a little bit farther and better for lay readers with this line: “In absolute terms, continuing on tamoxifen kept three additional women out of every 100 from dying of brest cancer within five to 14 years from when their disease was diagnosed.”
Satisfactory
The story quantified the risk of endometrial cancer and pulmonary blood clots.
This was the only one of the three stories that we reviewed that picked up on the high dropout rate in the study – an important addition:
“In the Atlas trial, it appears that roughly 40 percent of the patients assigned to take tamoxifen for the additional five years stopped prematurely.”
Satisfactory
Clearly, evenly presented and referenced.
One observation: as the story noted, about 40% of patients assigned to take tamoxifen stopped prematurely. This could have an impact on the results of this study and we would like to have seen more discussion about limitations of the results.
Satisfactory
No evidence of disease-mongering.
Satisfactory
Excellent use of sources. A variety of researchers, clinicians, and a patient were represented.
The story clearly stated that AstraZeneca, which makes a form of tamoxifen, helped finance the study.
Satisfactory
This comparison was brief but adequate.
Satisfactory
The story indicates the drug has been available, studied, and inexpensive.
Satisfactory
This criterion was adequately addressed as the new additional information provided by this study was made clear.
Satisfactory
It is clear that this story did not rely on a news release.
Total Score: 10 of 10 Satisfactory
Comments (1)
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Pat Battaglia
December 10, 2012 at 10:47 amThe inherent variables of breast cancer, compounded by individual differences among those diagnosed, ensure that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the disease. This article addresses the subset of breast cancers to which the results of this study apply, as well as the questions it raises for those who fall within other subsets. As one who was put into menopause by chemotherapy for breast cancer, and who chose to end hormonal treatment after five years because of side effects (knowing I had the option to continue), I appreciate the balance presented here. My choice was right for me; others might have chosen differently given the same set of conditions. There are no easy answers. The fact that an article like this has hit the mainstream has me optimistic that the reality of breast cancer’s complexity is becoming more commonly accepted.
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