Population-based cohort study of association between social characteristics and adjuvant endocrine therapy adherence in premenopausal breast cancer

A population-based cohort study of premenopausal ER-positive breast cancer patient in Denmark investigated the association between social characteristics and adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET). AET adherence was operationalized as adherence trajectories: high adherence (57% of patients), slow decline (36%), and rapid decline (6.9%). Income and education level were not associated with AET adherence. Compared with cohabitating women, those living alone had higher ORs of slow decline (1.26; 95% CI 1.08-1.46) or rapid decline (1.66; 1.27-2.18) versus high adherence. The corresponding ORs for women not working versus employed women were 1.22 (95%CI 1.02-1.45) and 1.76 (1.30-2.38). The authors conclude that adherence to AET was lower among women living alone or unemployed than cohabitating or employed women, respectively.