Comparison of Doctors' and Breast Cancer Patients' Perceptions of Docetaxel, Epirubicin, and Cyclophosphamide (TEC) Toxicity

In Spain, around 26,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year, representing nearly 30% of all cancers in women. The aim this study was to compare the perceptions of nonhematologic toxicities after administration of a docetaxel, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (TEC) regimen between breast cancer patients and oncologists. Furthermore, the relationship between such adverse events and quality of life (QOL) was evaluated. Cross-sectional study carried out among 92 breast cancer patients who received TEC as neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment. The main nonhematologic toxicities experienced by breast cancer patients treated with the TEC regimen were asthenia, nausea, dysgeusia, arthralgia, headache, and myalgia. Patients were less likely to be affected by vomiting and peripheral neuropathy. Oncologists seemed to show greater interest in toxicities, such as asthenia, nausea, and diarrhea. Vomiting was the toxicity with the most substantial degree of agreement between oncologist and patient. Toxicities with greater disagreement were dysgeusia, arthralgia, myalgia, asthenia, and headache. Asthenia, dysgeusia, loss of appetite, skin allergies, peripheral edema, abdominal pain, and myalgia were found to significantly affect the QOL. Tolerability and QOL were more favorable in patients treated with pegfilgrastim compared with filgrastim. Oncologists tend to underestimate toxicities experienced by breast cancer patients treated with the TEC regimen. The establishment of a protocol to record these toxicities may reduce that problem.