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Influence of physician’s lifestyle on the prescription of healthy habits to breast cancer patients (LACOG 1218)

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Abstract

Background

Healthy lifestyle is capable of positively modifying the survival of breast cancer (BC) patients. We aimed to evaluate how physician’s lifestyle influences on the prescription of healthy habits to BC patients.

Methods

An online questionnaire to evaluate physician lifestyle and prescription of healthy habits to BC patients was developed and circulated by e-mail to physicians dedicated to treat BC patients. A multivariate Poisson regression analysis assessed which factors of physician lifestyle could influence on prescription of healthy habits.

Results

A total of 267 physicians answered the questionnaire from October to November 2018. In terms of physician lifestyle, 228 (85.4%) had healthy eating habits and 236 (88.4%) practiced physical activity. Overall, 84.3% of the physicians advised their BC patients on the importance of lifestyle modification. Physicians who did not exercise regularly have a higher probability of not advising for health lifestyle (RR 2.48; p = 0.0265) as opposite to physicians ≥ 50 years-old (RR 0.37; p = 0.0118). Obesity treatment and management was performed by 45.3% of physicians. Being a breast surgeon (RR 1.29; p = 0.0025) or radiation oncologists (RR 1.82; p = 0.0025) were associated with not performing obesity treatment and management. About 53.4% of physicians referred overweight or obese patients to a dietitian and/or endocrinologist. Male gender (RR 1.35; p = 0.0296), breast surgeons (RR 1.99; p = 0.0001), and clinical practice in public health system (RR 1.53; p = 0.0012) were associated with not referring as opposed to physicians ≥ 50 years-old (RR 0.46; p = 0.0005).

Conclusion

Our survey showed some influence of physician’s lifestyle on the prescription of healthy habits to BC patients. Physicians who practice physical activity regularly had a higher probability of advising lifestyle modification and about half of physicians did some type of overweight and obese management.

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Code availability

The datasets analyzed e Code used for this survey are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

BC:

Breast cancer

CI:

Confidence interval

HR:

Hazard ratio

LACOG:

Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group

OS:

Overall survival

RR:

Risk relative

SBOC:

Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oncologia D’or - Hospital Cardiopulmonar, Anita Garibaldi, 2199, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-130, Brazil

    Renata Cangussú & Eldsamira Mascarenhas

  2. Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Taiane Francieli Rebelatto, Facundo Zaffaroni, Rafaela Gomes de Jesus, Paulo Ricardo Nunes Filho & Gustavo Werutsky

Authors
  1. Renata Cangussú
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  2. Eldsamira Mascarenhas
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  3. Taiane Francieli Rebelatto
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  4. Facundo Zaffaroni
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  5. Rafaela Gomes de Jesus
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  6. Paulo Ricardo Nunes Filho
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  7. Gustavo Werutsky
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Contributions

Concept and design: RC, EM, PRNN, GW.

Statistical analysis: RGJ.

Analysis of data and interpretation: RC, EM, PRNN, TFR, FZ, RGJ, GW.

First draft of the manuscript: RC, EM, PRNN, TFR, FZ, RGJ, GW.

All authors contributed to the content of the report and reviewed further drafts. All authors reviewed and approved the final report before submission. The authors take full responsibility for the scope, direction, and content of the report.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renata Cangussú.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

The survey was approved by Institutional Review Board of Núcleo de Oncologia da Bahia.

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Not applicable.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Novelty and impact statements

A healthy lifestyle has been shown to have a positive impact on the quality of life, risk of recurrence, and overall survival in breast cancer. Physicians play an important role in encouraging their patients to lifestyle modification. LACOG 1218 survey identified that physician’s lifestyle influences on the prescription of healthy habits to BC patients. Thus, strategies to engage physicians in healthier behaviors should be developed.

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Cangussú, R., Mascarenhas, E., Rebelatto, T.F. et al. Influence of physician’s lifestyle on the prescription of healthy habits to breast cancer patients (LACOG 1218). Support Care Cancer 30, 4399–4406 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-06864-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-06864-3

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