title: Changes in endocrine therapy: anastrozole and advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
abstract: Emerging data on endocrine therapies necessitates a re-evaluation of treatment strategies for advanced breast cancer. In this review, we present data from recent studies of the third-generation, nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (AI) anastrozole that illustrate its changing role in the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer. These studies demonstrate that anastrozole is now a treatment of choice as first-line therapy for patients presenting with advanced breast cancer and for patients who have progressed to advanced disease after adjuvant therapy with tamoxifen. A further trial has also shown that anastrozole is an effective and well-tolerated alternative to tamoxifen as adjuvant treatment for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Institute, American Hospital of Paris, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nabholtz
mesh_terms: D000077384:Anastrozole; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009570:Nitriles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017698:Postmenopause; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014230:Triazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D014230:Triazoles; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000077384:Anastrozole