Treatment switch helps women with breast cancer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Switching to the drug anastrozole after tamoxifen improves the outlook for women who have early breast cancer.
Anastrozole is a drug known as an aromatase inhibitor which can be used, like tamoxifen, to prevent recurrence of hormone-responsive breast cancer. Trials have shown it to be safe and effective. Researchers at the Vienna Medical University now report data on trials in Austria and Germany which show the benefit of switching from tamoxifen to anastrozole after two years of treatment with the former.

The trials involved postmenopausal women who either received anastrozole (1618 women) or tamoxifen (1606 women) after two years of tamoxifen. There was a 40 per cent decrease in recurrence or cancer arising in the other breast in the anastrozole group - that is, 67 events compared to 110 events. While bone fractures were more common on anastrozole, blood clots were less common than on tamoxifen. Therefore, anastrozole looks like a promising new option for women who have survived early breast cancer.

Source
The Lancet 6th August 2005