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. 2021 Apr 15;127(8):1208-1219.
doi: 10.1002/cncr.33371. Epub 2020 Dec 15.

Perceptions of patients with early stage breast cancer toward research biopsies

Davinia S Seah  1 , Jose Pablo Leone  1 , Thomas H Openshaw  2 , Sarah M Scott  3 , Nabihah Tayob  4 , Jiani Hu  4 , Ruth I Lederman  1 , Elizabeth S Frank  1 , Jessica J Sohl  1 , Zsofia K Stadler  5 , Timothy K Erick  1 , Stuart G Silverman  6 , Jeffrey M Peppercorn  7 , Eric P Winer  1 , Steven E Come  3 , Nancy U Lin  1
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Perceptions of patients with early stage breast cancer toward research biopsies

Davinia S Seah et al. Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to describe the perspective of patients with early breast cancer toward research biopsies. The authors hypothesized that more patients at academic sites than at community-based sites would be willing to consider these procedures.

Methods: In total, 198 patients with early stage breast cancer were recruited from 3 academic centers (n = 102) and from 1 community oncology practice (n = 96). The primary objective was to compare the proportion of patients willing to consider donating excess tissue biospecimens from surgery, from a clinically indicated breast biopsy, or from a research purposes-only biopsy (RPOB) between practice types.

Results: Most patients (93% at academic sites, 94% at the community oncology site) said they would consider donating excess tissue from surgery for research. One-half of patients from academic or community sites would consider donating tissue from a clinically indicated breast biopsy. On univariate analysis, significantly fewer patients from academic sites would consider an RPOB (22% at academic sites, 42% at the community site; P = .003); however, this difference was no longer significant on multivariate analysis (P = .96). Longer transportation times and unfavorable prior experiences were associated with less willingness to consider an RPOB on multivariate analysis. Significantly fewer patients from academic sites (14%) than from the community site (35%) would consider a research biopsy in a clinical trial (P = .04). Contributing to scientific knowledge, return of results, and a personal request by their physician were the strongest factors influencing patients' willingness to undergo research biopsies.

Conclusions: The current results rejected the hypothesis that more patients with early breast cancer at academic sites would be willing to donate tissue biospecimens for research compared with those at community oncology sites. These findings identify modifiable factors to consider in biobanking studies and clinical trials.

Keywords: biospecimen ethics; breast cancer; patient perspectives; research biopsy; survey study.

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Conflict of interest statement

Jose Pablo Leone reports grants from Kazia Therapeutics and Merck, outside the submitted work. Zsofia K. Stadler reports that an immediate family member serves as a consultant in ophthalmology for Adverum Biotechnologies, Allergan, Genentech/Roche, Novartis, Neurogene, Gyroscope Tx, Optos Plc, Regeneron, RegenexBio, and Spark Therapeutics. Jeffrey M. Peppercorn reports grants from Pfizer; personal fees from Athenex, Abbott Labs, and GlaxoSmithKline, outside the submitted work; and that his spouse is an employee of GlaxcoSmithKline and holds stock in the company. Eric P. Winer reports institutional research support from Genentech/Roche and personal fees from Carrick Therapeutics, G1 Therapeutics, Genentech/Roche, Genomic Health, GlaxoSmithKline, Jounce, Leap, Lilly, Novartis, Seattle Genetics, and Syros, outside the submitted work. Nancy U. Lin reports institutional research support from Genentech, Pfizer, Merck, and Seattle Genetics; and personal fees from Puma, Seattle Genetics, Daichii‐Sankyo, AstraZeneca, Denali Therapeutics, and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, outside the submitted work. The remaining authors made no disclosures.

References

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