Aromatase Inhibitors May Replace Tamoxifen; www.breastlink.org Presents the Science behind Breast Cancer News in English and Spanish.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 2004

A four-year update of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination) Trial shows that patients on anastrozole have longer disease-free survival, lower incidence of contralateral breast cancer, and fewer side effects than women taking tamoxifen. Two other aromatase inhibitors, letrozole and exemestane, are also proving more effective than tamoxifen. "In metastatic disease, and possibly in the adjuvant setting as well, it appears that the aromatase inhibitors will replace tamoxifen, at least for postmenopausal women," says Lawrence Wickerham, MD, Associate Chairman, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), and associate professor of human oncology at Drexel University in Pittsburgh, PA.

This month's Breastlink.org also features articles on the following topics:

Antibiotics Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

A widely publicized study of more than 10,000 women found an association between cumulative use of antibiotics and an increased risk of breast cancer. However, no causal relationship was found. "I think the real answer here is that antibiotics themselves aren't increasing the risk but that the underlying reason for which the antibiotic was prescribed is somehow connected to the risk of breast cancer," says M. William Audeh, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine, UCLA, and medical oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA.

Breast-Conserving Surgery Effective for Young Women

A Danish study of more than 9,000 premenopausal women with breast cancer shows that breast-conserving therapy provides the same survival benefits as modified radical mastectomy for young patients despite the increased risk of local recurrence.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy Improves Survival for Some Premenopausal Women

Results from an international clinical trial show that premenopausal women with estrogen receptor-negative, lymph node-negative breast cancer have better disease-free survival if they receive adjuvant chemotherapy (CMF) either alone or followed by goserelin. Further study is needed to determine the best treatment for premenopausal women with ER-positive disease.

John Link, MD, founder of The Breast Cancer Care & Research Fund, says: "Never has there been a more exciting or hopeful time for breast cancer research and treatment. We are beginning to understand this disease at the molecular and genetic levels. More treatment options are available. Women need to become informed so they can advocate for themselves and actively participate in obtaining optimal treatment for their particular breast cancer."

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