The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7439 p183
17 February 2007

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Evidence for switch to aromatase inhibitor strengthened

Evidence supporting the benefits of switching to exemestane (Aromasin) after treatment with tamoxifen for breast cancer has been reinforced with publication of the full results of the intergroup exemestane study this week (www.thelancet.com, 13 February 2007).

The initial results of the study, which showed improvements in disease-free survival in postmenopausal breast cancer patients switched to exemestane after two to three years’ treatment with tamoxifen, were announced at the American Society of Clinical Oncology last year (PJ, 10 June 2006, p673).

In addition, a separate study published online in Cancer this week has shown that switching to an aromatase inhibitor after two or three years of tamoxifen therapy significantly improves survival for postmenopausal breast cancer patients, compared with two or three years’ additional tamoxifen treatment (www.interscience.wiley.com, 12 February 2007).