title: Role of aromatase inhibitors in advanced breast cancer.
abstract: A number of potent and selective non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors are now available for treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women, of which anastrozole and letrozole, in particular, represent a significant advantage over the earlier agents in terms of both efficacy and tolerability. These agents are rapidly becoming established as the second-line therapy of choice in postmenopausal women with advanced disease, progressing on tamoxifen, and data on their efficacy as first-line treatment compared with tamoxifen will be available in the near future. Exemestane, a new, steroidal aromatase inhibitor which potentially lacks cross-resistance with non-steroidal agents is still in clinical development. The full potential of the new-generation aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of breast cancer is currently being investigated in a large program of clinical trials evaluating their use as adjuvant treatment following surgery in postmenopausal patients with early disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson University Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: A U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Buzdar
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017698:Postmenopause
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors