Seminars in Oncology
Volume 33, Issue 6 , Pages 672-680 , December 2006

Adjuvant Therapy With Aromatase Inhibitors for Postmenopausal Women With Early Breast Cancer: Evidence and Ongoing Controversy

References 

  1. SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975–2001. Bethesda, MD, National Cancer Institute, Joinpoint Regression Program Version 2.7, September 2003
  2. Cancer Facts and Figures. Chicago, IL: American Cancer Society; 2006;
  3. Diamandopoulus GT. Cancer: An historical perspective. Anticancer Res. 1996;16:1595–1602
  4. Fisher B, Redmond C, Brown A, et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy with and without tamoxifen in the treatment of primary breast cancer: 5-year results from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project trial 34. J Clin Oncol. 1986;4:459–471
  5. Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group. Tamoxifen for early breast cancer: An overview of the randomized trials. Lancet. 1998;351:1451–1467
  6. Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group. Effects of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy for early breast cancer on recurrence and 15-year survival: an overview of the randomized trials. Lancet. 2005;365:1687–1717
  7. Stewart HJ, Forrest AP, Everington D, et al. Randomized comparison of 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen with continuous therapy for operable breast cancer: The Scottish Cancer Trials Breast Group 299. Br J Cancer. 1996;74:297–299
  8. Stewart DJ, Prescott RJ, Forrest PM. Scottish adjuvant tamoxifen trial: A randomized study updated to 15 years. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2001;93:456–462
  9. Fisher B, Dignam J, Bryant AJS, et al. Five versus more than five years of tamoxifen for lymph node negative breast cancer: Updated findings from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-14. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2001;93:684–690
  10. Tormey DC, Gray R, Falkson HC. Postchemotherapy adjuvant tamoxifen therapy beyond five years in patients with lymph node-positive breast cancer: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1996;88:1828–1833
  11. Earl H, Gray R, Kerr D, et al. The optimal duration of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment for breast cancer remains uncertain: Randomize into aTTom. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 1997;9:141–143
  12. Delozier T, Spielmann M, Janvier M, et al. Optimal duration of adjuvant tamoxifen (TAM) in early breast cancer (EBC): Ten year results of a randomized trial (TAM-01) of the FNCLCC Breast Group. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2005;94:S10;(abstr)
  13. Goldhirsch A, Gelber R. Endocrine therapies in breast cancer. Semin Oncol. 1996;23:494–505
  14. Dowsett M, Jones A, Johnston SR, et al. In vivo measurement of aromatase inhibition by letrozole in postmenopausal patients with breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 1995;1:1511–1515
  15. Geisler J, King N, Dowsett M, et al. Influence of anastrozole (Arimidex), a selective, non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor, on in vivo aromatization and plasma oestrogen levels in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 1996;74:1286–1291
  16. Geisler J, King N, Anker G, et al. In vivo inhibition of aromatization by exemestane, a novel irreversible aromatase inhibitor, in postmenopausal breast cancer patients. Clin Cancer Res. 1998;4:2089–2093
  17. Bonneterre J, Buzdar A, Nabholtz JM, et al. Anastrozole is superior to tamoxifen as first-line therapy in hormone receptor positive advanced breast carcinoma: Results of two randomized trials designed for combined analysis. Cancer. 2001;92:2247–2258
  18. Paridaens R, Dirix L, Lohrisch C, et al. Mature results of a randomized phase II multicenter study of exemestane versus tamoxifen as first-line therapy for postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer. Ann Oncol. 2003;14:1391–1398
  19. Mouridsen H, Gershanovich M, Sun Y, et al. Phase III study of letrozole versus tamoxifen as first-line therapy of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women: Analysis of survival and update of efficacy from the International Letrozole Breast Cancer Group. J Clin Oncol. 2003;21:2101–2109
  20. The ATAC Trialists’ Group. Results of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial after completion of 5 years’ adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Lancet. 2005;365:60–62
  21. The Arimidex, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination Trialists’ Group. Anastrozole alone or in combination with tamoxifen versus tamoxifen alone for adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with early breast cancer: First results of the ATAC randomized trial. Lancet. 2002;359:2131–2139
  22. Baum M, Buzdar A, Cuzick J, et al. Anastrozole alone or in combination with tamoxifen versus tamoxifen alone for adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer: Results of the ATAC trial efficacy and safety update analysis. Cancer. 2003;98:1802–1810
  23. The Breast International Group (BIG) I-98 Collaborative Group. A comparison of letrozole and tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with early breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:2747–2757
  24. Mouridsen H, Gershanovich M, Sun Y, et al. Superior efficacy of letrozole versus tamoxifen as first-line therapy for postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer: Results of a phase III study of the International Letrozole Breast Cancer Group. J Clin Oncol. 2001;19:2596–2606
  25. Mouridsen H, Gershanovich M, Sun Y, et al. Phase III study of letrozole versus tamoxifen as first-line therapy of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women: Analysis of survival and update of efficacy from the International Letrozole Breast Cancer Group. J Clin Oncol. 2003;21:2101–2109
  26. Goss PE, Ingle JN, Martino S, et al. A randomized trial of letrozole in postmenopausal women after five years of tamoxifen therapy for early-stage breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1793–1802
  27. Ellis MJ, Coop A, Singh B, et al. Letrozole is more effective neoadjvant endocrine therapy than tamoxifen for ErbB-1 and/or ErbB-2 positive primary breast cancer: Evidence from a phase III randomized trial. J Clin Oncol. 2001;19:3808–3816
  28. Coombes RC, Hall E, Gibson LJ, et al. A randomized trial of exemestane after two to three years of tamoxifen therapy in postmenopausal women with primary breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:1081–1092
  29. Jonat W, Gnant M, Boccardo F, et al. Switching from adjuvant tamoxifen to anastrozole in postmenopausal women with hormone-responsive early breast cancer: A meta-analysis of the ARNO 95 trial, ABCSG trial 8, and the ITA trial. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2005;94:S11;(abstr)
  30. Jakesz R, Jonat W, Gnant M, et al. Switching of postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer to anastrozole after 2 years’ adjuvant tamoxifen: Combined results of ABSCG trial 8 and ARNO 95 trial. Lancet. 2005;366:455–462
  31. Jakesz R, Gnant M, Greil R, et al. The benefits of sequencing adjuvant tamoxifen and anastrozole in postmenopausal women with hormone-responsive early breast cancer: 5 year-analysis of ABCSG Trial 8. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2005;94:S10;(abstr)
  32. Boccardo FM, Rubagotti A, Puntoni M, et al. Switching to anastrozole vs continued tamoxifen treatment of early breast cancer: Updated results of the Italian Tamoxifen Anastrozole Trial. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2005;23:16S;(abstr)
  33. Boccardo F, Rubagotti A, Guglielmini P, et al. Switching to anastrozole versus continued tamoxifen treatment of early breast cancer (Updated results of the Italian Tamoxifen Anastrozole (ITA) trial). Ann Oncol. 2006;17(suppl 7):vii10–vii14
  34. Morandi P, Middleton LP, Mirza NQ, et al. Occult breast cancer (OBC), a retrospective analysis of clinico-pathological characteristics and long-term outcome: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center experience. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2004;88:S165;(abstr)
  35. Saphner T, Tormey DC, Gray R. Annual hazard rates of recurrence for breast cancer after primary therapy. J Clin Oncol. 1996;14:2738–2746
  36. Goss PE, Ingle JN, Martino S, et al. A randomized trial of letrozole in postmenopausal women after five years of tamoxifen therapy in early-stage breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1793–1802
  37. Goss PE, Ingle JN, Martino S, et al. Randomized trial of letrozole following tamoxifen as extended adjuvant therapy in receptor-positive breast cancer: Updated findings from NCIC CTG MA.17. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005;97:1262–1271
  38. Goss PE, Ingle JN, Palmer MJ, et al. Updated analysis of NCIC CTG MA.17 (letrozole vs. placebo to letrozole vs placebo) post unblinding. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2005;94:A-16;(abstr)
  39. Howell A, Cuzick J, Baum M, et al. Results of the ATAC (Anastrozole, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial after completion of 5 years’ adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. Lancet. 2005;365:60–62
  40. Thürlimann BJ, et al. BIG 1-98: Randomized double-blind phase III study to evaluate letrozole (L) versus tamoxifen (T) as adjuvant endocrine therapy for postmenopausal women with receptor-positive breast cancer. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2005;23:16S;(abstr)
  41. Loi S, Piccart M, Haibe-Kains B, et al. Prediction of early relapses on tamoxifen in early-stage breast cancer: A potential tool for adjuvant aromatase inhibitor tailoring. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(16S):509;(abstr)
  42. Perou CM, Sorlie T, Eisen MB, et al. Molecular portraits of human breast cancers. Nature. 2000;406:747–752
  43. Allard WJ, Matera J, Miller MC, et al. Tumor cells circulate in the peripheral blood of all major carcinomas but not in healthy subjects or patients with nonmalignant diseases. Clin Cancer Res. 2004;10:6897–6904
  44. Dowsett M, Cuzick J, Wale C, et al. Retrospective analysis of time to recurrence in the ATAC trial according to hormone receptor status: An hypothesis-generating study. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:7512–7517
  45. Punglia RS, Kuntz KM, Winer EP, et al. Optimizing adjuvant endocrine therapy in postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer: A decision analysis. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:5178–5187
  46. Cuzick J, Howell A. Optimal timing of the use of an aromatase inhibitor in the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(16S):658;(abstr)

PII: S0093-7754(06)00329-0

doi: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2006.08.018

Seminars in Oncology
Volume 33, Issue 6 , Pages 672-680 , December 2006