; Ortmann, O ; Diedrich, K ; Coates, AS ; Bajetta, E ; Holmberg, SB ; Dodwell, D ; Mickiewicz, E ; Andersen, J ; Lønning, PE
; Cocconi, G ; Forbes, J ; Castiglione, M ; Stuart, N ; Stewart, A ; Fallowfield, LJ ; Bertelli, G ; Hall, E ; Bogle, RG ; Carpentieri, M ; Colajori, E ; Subar, M ; Ireland, E ; Bliss, JM | Item type: | Article | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journal or Publication Title: | The Lancet | ||||
| Publisher: | ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC | ||||
| Place of Publication: | NEW YORK | ||||
| Volume: | 369 | ||||
| Number of Issue or Book Chapter: | 9561 | ||||
| Page Range: | pp. 559-570 | ||||
| Date: | 2007 | ||||
| Institutions: | Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe (Schwerpunkt Frauenheilkunde) | ||||
| Identification Number: |
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| Keywords: | EARLY BREAST-CANCER; BONE-MINERAL DENSITY; POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN; ADJUVANT TREATMENT; CONTINUED TAMOXIFEN; 1ST-LINE THERAPY; PHASE-III; ANASTROZOLE; BIOMARKERS; LETROZOLE; | ||||
| Dewey Decimal Classification: | 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine | ||||
| Status: | Published | ||||
| Refereed: | Yes, this version has been refereed | ||||
| Created at the University of Regensburg: | Yes | ||||
| Item ID: | 69378 |
Abstract
Background Early improvements in disease-free survival have been noted when an aromatase inhibitor is given either instead of or sequentially after tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with oestrogen-receptor-positive early breast cancer. However, little information exists on the long-term effects of aromatase inhibitors after treatment, and whether these early improvements lead to real gains in ...

Abstract
Background Early improvements in disease-free survival have been noted when an aromatase inhibitor is given either instead of or sequentially after tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with oestrogen-receptor-positive early breast cancer. However, little information exists on the long-term effects of aromatase inhibitors after treatment, and whether these early improvements lead to real gains in survival. Methods 4724 postmenopausal patients with unilateral invasive, oestrogen-receptor-positive or oestrogen-receptor-unknown breast cancer who were disease-free on 2-3 years of tamoxifen, were randomly assigned to switch to exemestane (n=2352) or to continue tamoxifen (n=2372) for the remainder of a 5-year endocrine treatment period. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival; overall survival was a secondary endpoint. Efficacy analyses were intention-to-treat. This study is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN11883920. Results After a median follow-up of 55.7 months (range 0-89.7), 809 events contributing to the analysis of disease-free survival had been reported (354 exemestane, 455 tamoxifen); unadjusted hazard ratio 0.76 (95% CI 0.66-0.88, p=0.0001) in favour of exemestane, absolute benefit 3.3% (95% CI 1.6-4.9) by end of treatment (ie, 2.5 years after randomisation). 222 deaths occurred in the exemestane group compared with 261 deaths in the tamoxifen group; unadjusted hazard ratio 0.85 (95% CI 0.71-1.02, p=0.08), 0.83 (0.69-1.00, p=0.05) when 122 patients with oestrogen-receptor-negative disease were excluded. Conclusions Our results suggest that early improvements in disease-free survival noted in patients who switch to exemestane after 2-3 years on tamoxifen persist after treatment, and translate into a modest improvement in overall survival.
Metadata last modified: 19 Dec 2024 13:58
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