Aromatase inhibitors: A treatment of choice for advanced breast cancer patientsSeptember 20, 2006Aromatase inhibitors improve the survival of advanced breast cancer patients compared to standard hormone therapies like tamoxifen, a researchers report in the September 20 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Many advances in breast cancer research have improved therapy for early-stage breast cancer patients, but more research is needed on therapeutic treatments for advanced breast cancer patients. Treatment with aromatase inhibitors in place of traditional hormonal therapies is being explored for advanced breast cancer patients. John P.A. Ioannidis, M.D., of the University of Ioannina School of Medicine in Greece, and colleagues identified trials that examined the treatment of advanced breast cancer patients with aromatase inhibitors or standard hormone therapies. They found 23 trials with a total of 8,504 patients: 4,559 received treatment with aromatase inhibitors, and 3,945 received standard hormone therapy. The authors found that third-generation aromatase inhibitors-including vorozole, letrozole, examestane, and anastrazole-increased the survival time for patients with advanced breast cancer. They suggest that aromatase inhibitors should be used as an initial therapy for these patients. "The meta-analysis offers strong evidence for the use of third-generation aromatase inhibitors and inactivators in the treatment of advanced breast cancer," the authors write. In an accompanying editorial, Daniel F. Hayes, M.D., and Catherine H. Van Poznak, M.D., of the University of Michigan Health and Hospital System in Ann Arbor, write, "We believe that this study was well executed and that the results are acceptable. The statistical power of this meta-analysis is high because of the large amount of compiled data, and the results support what is already a strong bias in the clinical community." Journal of the National Cancer Institute |
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| Related Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles Menopause-cardiology consensus statement on cardiovascular disease and on HRT A menopause-cardiology consensus statement has called for direct action to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in menopausal women. The statement also concludes that there is little evidence of increased CVD risk in taking HRT. Researchers Identify Role of Gene in Tumor Development, Growth and Progression Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis. UCLA researchers create 'fly paper' to capture circulating cancer cells Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with nano-sized features developed by researchers at UCLA is able to grab cancer cells in the blood that have broken off from a tumor. Fertility procedures need not delay breast cancer treatment for younger women A new study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that breast cancer patients under 40 years old who undergo fertility preservation do not face a significant delay in the treatment of their disease when their care is coordinated in a timely fashion. Coffee break: Compound brewing new research in colon, breast cancer A compound in coffee has been found to be estrogenic in studies by Texas AgriLife Research scientists. Drugs to treat anemia in cancer patients linked to thromboembolism Medications frequently given to cancer patients to reduce their risk of anemia are associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, according to new research led by Dawn Hershman, M.D, M.S., co-director of the breast cancer program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Discovery in worms by Queen's researchers points to more targeted cancer treatment Researchers at Queen's University have found a link between two genes involved in cancer formation in humans, by examining the genes in worms. The groundbreaking discovery provides a foundation for how tumor-forming genes interact, and may offer a drug target for cancer treatment. FDA approved leukemia drugs shows promise in ovarian cancer cells The drug Sprycel, approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, significantly inhibited the growth and invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells and also promoted their death, a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found. Carnegie Mellon researchers link health-care debate to risk of dying in US and Europe The current health care debate in the United States is complicated. Trade-offs between heath care expenditures, lifestyle choices and life expectancy have been suggested but seldom clearly demonstrated. Scientists uncover new key to the puzzle of hormone therapy and breast cancer The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer. More Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles |
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