Identifying socio-demographic and clinical characteristics associated with medication beliefs about aromatase inhibitors among postmenopausal women with breast cancer

Abstract

Medication necessity and concern beliefs were associated with a definable subset of patients who may be at higher risk for non-persistence.

Do treatment patterns alter beliefs cancer patients hold regarding oral oncolytic agents?

“…This research is among the first to show how patients' beliefs in the necessity of their medications decline when medications are withdrawn by the physician. Consistent with several cross‐sectional studies of beliefs about different medication types, we found that treatment interruptions may give rise to concerns that oral oncolytic agents are no longer managing their disease. At least 2 lines of explanation might be pursued.…”

“…The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) is grounded in social cognition as expressed through the health belief model and assesses patients' positive outcome expectancy (benefits from treatment) and the accompanying concerns regarding the use of medications and their interference with daily activities . Patients' scores on the necessity and concerns subscales have been found to be associated with their levels of adherence as well as with their sex, symptom reports, duration of treatment, number of medications, and depression …”

Conceptualisation of medication beliefs among patients with advanced cancer receiving oral oncolytic agents using a theory derivation approach

“…However, if cancer‐related symptoms are relieved by the OA medication or patients do not experience symptoms that they associate with the OA medication, the strength of the negative medication beliefs would likely weaken. The positive component of medication beliefs has not been reported to be influenced by cancer treatment‐related assaults (Heisig et al, ; Salgado et al, ).…”

“…Positive medication beliefs represent the beliefs that the patient will benefit from medication. Positive medication beliefs are less likely to be associated with treatment‐related assaults (Heisig et al, ; Salgado et al, ) and thus are hypothesised to be more stable over time. However, positive medication beliefs can change and strengthen as patients confirm medication efficacy or weaken if a patient experiences a permanent physician‐directed OA stoppage.…”

“…Negative medication beliefs reflect the concerns patients experience for taking OAs and are impacted by treatment‐related assaults (Bhattacharya et al, ; Salgado et al, ), depressive symptoms (Belzung et al, ; DiMatteo et al, ) and declines in cognitive effectiveness. Thus, it is hypothesised that negative medication beliefs are more vulnerable to change over time.…”