The Cancer Research UK conducted a survey of breast cancer survivors and found more than half admit they have missed taking the scheduled doses of chemoprevention medication. The three most common reasons the women gave for not taking the medicine were: tablets hard to swallow, difficulty in coping with side-effects and the fact that drugs were a constant reminder of illness. In addition, some women simply forgot to take the prescribed medication in a timely manner.

Experts believe a lack of communication with women in regard to handling the side effects of drugs and the importance of staying with treatment the entire length of time prescribed to prevent recurrence, might be lacking. They also feel that more needs to be done to understand why women would willingly chose to discontinue or interrupt long-term chemoprevention drug treatment.

The study was a small one involving 131 women who were at least two years past initial breast cancer diagnosis, but I am certain that given a larger study researchers might realize the same findings. In my opinion, after breast cancer diagnosis -- surgery, chemotherapy, radiation -- or a combination of all three treatments -- is not only a physical challenge but an emotional one. Once past active treatment, the resources and support for breast cancer survivors can fall off dramatically while the difficult issues of being a breast cancer survivor remain.