title: Update on the use of letrozole in breast cancer.
abstract: Endocrine therapy is the mainstay of adjuvant treatment for hormonereceptor-positive early breast cancer. Letrozole is a potent third-generation aromatase inhibitor that suppresses plasma estrogen levels to near-undetectable levels in postmenopausal women. The results of well-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of letrozole over the gold-standard treatment, tamoxifen, in the neoadjuvant and upfront adjuvant settings and over placebo in the extended adjuvant setting (i.e., following 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen). Important benefits in disease-free survival and especially distant disease-free survival have been demonstrated, in both low- and high-risk subgroups of patients (e.g., node-positive disease, prior chemotherapy). Both the efficacy and safety of letrozole for the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Goss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077289:Letrozole; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; D014230:Triazoles; D000077289:Letrozole