title: A controlled trial of adjuvant tamoxifen, with or without prednisolone, in post-menopausal women with operable breast cancer.
abstract: A randomised clinical trial has been conducted to compare adjuvant tamoxifen, 20 mg daily, with tamoxifen and prednisolone, 7.5 mg daily, in post-menopausal women with operable breast cancer. There were 254 evaluable patients, of whom 128 were given tamoxifen alone and 126 received tamoxifen and prednisolone. After a median follow-up of 48 months there was no significant difference in relapse-free or overall survival of the two groups. Furthermore, with survival slightly favouring tamoxifen, confidence intervals on the hazard ratio established that a difference in favour of tamoxifen plus prednisolone of even 5% at 5 years was very unlikely (P < 0.02). Thus, despite the relatively small number of patients in this trial, the data clearly establish that prednisolone is not of value as an additional adjuvant agent.
authors.affiliation: ICRF Clinical Oncology Unit, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Fentiman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamed
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ranson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chaudary
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ash
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Sellwood
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013629:Tamoxifen; D011239:Prednisolone