title: Hormonal therapy in postmenopausal women with breast cancer.
abstract: The treatment of postmenopausal women with breast cancer presents a number of challenges. Tamoxifen has had a substantial impact on mortality in women with early-stage, estrogen-receptor-positive tumors. Despite the improvement in the treatment of breast cancer, many patients will ultimately experience a recurrence. Present treatment approaches can provide effective palliation in the advanced disease setting, but, at best, there has been a modest impact on survival. Numerous options are now available to provide effective palliation for patients with advanced disease. These options include antiestrogens, pure antiestrogens, aromatase inhibitors and progestins and LHRH agonists. Recently, several studies have reviewed the efficacy of aromatase inhibitors as first-line agents in postmenopausal women. Anastrozole and letrozole have recently been approved as first-line agents in women with metastatic breast cancer. In addition to their role in metastatic breast, trials investigating the potential of aromatase inhibitors in the early breast cancer, both in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant setting are underway.
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. scampos@partners.org
authors.forename: Susana M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Eric P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Winer
mesh_terms: D000077384:Anastrozole; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists; D006801:Humans; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009570:Nitriles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017698:Postmenopause; D011372:Progestins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014230:Triazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D009570:Nitriles; D011372:Progestins; D014230:Triazoles; D000077384:Anastrozole; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone