BACKGROUND: Palbociclib in combination with letrozole or fulvestrant has been approved for hormone receptor–positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative (HER2–) advanced/metastatic breast cancer (ABC/MBC). There is limited information on patient satisfaction with palbociclib combination therapies post approval.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based survey of patients with HR+/HER2– ABC/MBC was conducted in the United States. Respondents were ≥ 18 years old and had received palbociclib plus aromatase inhibitors (AI) or palbociclib + fulvestrant for ≥ 2 months. Satisfaction was measured using the Cancer Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (CTSQ), which assesses three domains: expectations of therapy in preventing recurrence or progression or returning to normal life, feelings about side effects, and satisfaction with therapy. Each domain is scored from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better outcomes. Descriptive statistics are reported for the overall United States cohort (N = 250) by combination drug used (AI or fulvestrant) and by sites of metastases.
RESULTS: The majority of respondents were Caucasian (87.6%), were employed full-time (54.4%), and held an undergraduate or graduate degree (68%). Median age was 40 years, and approximately 58% (n = 146) of the study population had received palbociclib plus AI. Average (SD) satisfaction with therapy scores were high in patients treated with palbociclib plus AI (71.04 [12.18]) and in patients treated with palbociclib plus fulvestrant (76.17 [9.91]). Average (SD) expectations of therapy scores were 70.48 (16.11) with palbociclib plus AI and 76.39 (15.05) with palbociclib plus fulvestrant, respectively. A majority of patients (> 65%) expected that palbociclib combination therapy would stop the cancer from spreading, and more than 90% of patients reported that the benefits of their palbociclib combination therapy met or exceeded their expectations. Average (SD) scores for feelings about side effects were 47.69 (14.90) for palbociclib plus AI and 40.75 (13.55) for palbociclib plus fulvestrant. More than 80% of patients in each treatment group indicated that side effects were as or better than expected. Scores for all domains were similar between patients with and without visceral metastases.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients reported high satisfaction scores with palbociclib combination therapy. Satisfaction levels were similar for palbociclib combination–treated patients with and without visceral metastases.
