SHORE-C Study

Abemaciclib is a targeted therapy. Targeted cancer drugs are treatments that help the body to control the growth and spread of cancer. These drugs focus on specific abnormalities within cancer cells that allow them to survive. When used to treat breast cancer, abemaciclib is taken together with hormone therapy (also called endocrine therapy). Treatment with abemaciclib and hormone therapy for high-risk early breast cancer is relatively new and little is known about people's expectations of this treatment, their experiences, and how they manage possible side effects. We know that diarrhoea is a very common side effect of abemaciclib, and can be severe for some people. Finding out more about people's experiences and understanding their needs is important if we want to be able to best inform and support them.

PEATY aimed to recruit up to 30 women to take part in a series of three interviews. Our research team interviewed these women before or shortly after they started treatment with abemaiclib. This was to find out what their treatment expectations were, and what they knew about the drugs they were prescribed. Follow-up interviews were conducted approximately 4 and 8 weeks later to find out more about their actual experiences. We wanted to know if they experienced side effects during the first weeks of treatment, and were particularly interested to hear if they experienced diarrhoea, and what they did to reduce and manage this. We also asked about side effects related to hormone therapy (for example joint pain, hot flushes or fatigue), and talked about the impact of the treatment on their lives, and how they and their doctors tried to manage any problems.

We hope that the results of the study can be used to develop materials to help healthcare professionals communicate the effects of treatment.

Co-Investigator - Prof Val Jenkins

Co-Investigator - Dr Helena Harder

Co-Investigator - Prof Dame Lesley Fallowfield

Funder: Eli Lilly

Sponsor: Sussex University

Current Stage:

Poster