Related Pages High-Dose Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer A collection of material about high-dose chemotherapy with bone marrow or stem cell transplant as a treatment for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Home Page NCI's gateway for information about breast cancer.

From April 28 to May 9, 2000, the NCI and the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations conducted a telephone survey with a nationally representative sample of 925 women ages 35-74. The purpose of the study was to determine attitudes and perceptions of women toward high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplant (HDC-ABMT) as a treatment for breast cancer.

The results: women ages 35-74 persist in the belief that high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplant is of value for the treatment of breast cancer. Not only were a sizeable number of women aware of the procedure, but many said they would be receptive to this treatment option if they had breast cancer themselves, and would consider having the procedure as part of a randomized clinical trial.

These findings are of particular interest given the negative media reports concerning HDC-ABMT. Notwithstanding these reports, the public appears to be supportive of HDC-ABMT clinical trials.

Description of Sample

• The sample was 75 percent white, 11 percent black, 8 percent Hispanic, and 4 percent other.
  
  
• Ten percent of the sample reported that they had "ever been diagnosed and treated for cancer." Of that number, slightly over one quarter (26 percent) had been treated for breast cancer.
  
  
• Almost four in 10 respondents who had not themselves been diagnosed with breast cancer reported that they had a close family member or close friend that had "ever been diagnosed with breast cancer."
  
  
• Altogether, 43 percent of the sample had been "touched by cancer" (i.e., had either had cancer themselves or had a close family member/friend with breast cancer), and 55 percent were "untouched by cancer."
  
  

Key Findings

• Of the entire sample, almost half (46 percent) indicated that they had heard of using ABMT with chemotherapy as a treatment for breast cancer. As age increased, so did awareness of ABMT. Women ages 65-74 were significantly more likely to be aware of this treatment than the youngest women surveyed, ages 35-44 (58 percent vs. 40 percent).
  
  
• Of women who had heard of this treatment (n=435), 58 percent said they had either read or heard news reports over the past year regarding ABMT as a breast cancer treatment. Among this smaller group (n=262), two-thirds (67 percent) remembered these reports as being favorable toward the procedure. Interestingly, those "touched by cancer," and particularly those with a history of breast cancer were significantly less likely (60 percent and 32 percent, respectively) than those "untouched by cancer" (74 percent) to recall the reports as being positive in nature. Those who had had breast cancer themselves were also much more likely than those "untouched by cancer" to say that they could not remember (or didn't know) whether the reports were favorable or not (51 percent vs. 10 percent).
  
  
• When those who had heard about ABMT with chemotherapy to treat breast cancer (n=435) were asked whether they would consider this treatment if they were facing a decision about breast cancer treatment for themselves, half (50 percent) said they would be "very likely" to do so, and another 28 percent said they would be "somewhat likely." Again, age was a key factor for consideration of ABMT. The youngest women surveyed (ages 35-44) were much more likely than the oldest women surveyed (ages 65-74) to say they would be "very likely" to consider the treatment (63 percent vs. 36 percent).
  
  
• The most frequently cited reasons expressed by those who said they were unlikely to consider ABMT with chemotherapy for themselves (n=58) were:
  • Don't know enough about it; need more information
    (17 percent)
  • Consider treatment too toxic/harsh/risky
    (13 percent)
  • Heard treatment doesn't work for breast cancer
    (11 percent)
  • Prefer another treatment
    (11 percent)
  • Don't like/trust experimental treatments
    (9 percent)
    
    
• Of those who said they would consider ABMT with chemotherapy as a treatment option (n=336), almost half (48 percent) indicated they would be "very likely" to consider it as part of a randomized research study, if cost and convenience were not an issue. Another third (34 percent) said they would be "somewhat likely" to do so.
  
  
• Somewhat lower percentages said they would be "very likely" (29 percent) or "somewhat likely" (37 percent) to consider having ABMT with chemotherapy outside of a research study. However, it should be pointed out that these numbers may be artifactual, given that respondents had already expressed a rather strong preference for a randomized study in the previous question.

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