02.07.2013

Tamoxifen dominates UK doctors’ online talk on breast cancer treatment

A CREATION Press Release

New study shows low level of discussion of Raloxifene as option for prevention

London, July 2nd, 2013 — New research by Creation Healthcare has shown that of the two drugs being recommended for the prevention of breast cancer, only one has been discussed widely by doctors in public social media.

It has been a week since the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) released guidelines stating that Tamoxifen or Raloxifene taken for five years by women with a family risk of breast cancer could cut the risk by up to 40%.

During June, 16% of the 205 breast cancer-related tweets by doctors, nurses, pharmacists and consultants mentioned Tamoxifen with a spike in the week starting 25 June when NICE published the updated guidelines.

Healthcare professionals across the UK welcomed the announcement from NICE, but there were also signs of an information gap with questions being asked about who was eligible for treatment under the guidelines.

Despite the press releases and wide-media coverage, Raloxifene, the alternative to Tamoxifen, has not been discussed extensively by healthcare professionals in public social media with very limited mentions of its place in the NICE guidelines.  Dr Christian Jessen, who appears widely in the media and has a Twitter following of 247,000 pointed out that the two drugs offered an option to mastectomy.  His tweet was then re-tweeted 75 times, reflecting his wide public influence on Twitter.

Creation Healthcare’s Chief Executive, Daniel Ghinn, said: “Our study shows that NICE guidelines may identify two drugs which could be used for preventative use in women with a family history of breast cancer, but doctors are only interested in discussing one of them.  Using Creation Pinpoint® to examine the individual and collective views of healthcare professionals, we are able to produce unique insights which reflect the opinions of those working at the front line of cancer care.”

ENDS

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Notes to Editors:

About Creation Healthcare:

Creation Healthcare is the research and training consultancy to the healthcare industry for the digital age, advising the world’s largest pharmaceutical and healthcare organisations. Established in 1998, the company has been at the forefront of innovation in healthcare engagement for sixteen years with a global consultant team spanning 20 countries.  Creation Healthcare’s headquarters are in London, United Kingdom.  www.creationhealthcare.com.