Short-term and low-dose prednisolone administration reduces aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia in patients with breast cancer.
Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are important therapeutic drugs for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. However, adverse effects of AIs such as arthralgia have been extensively reported. We performed a joint prospective, multi-institutional investigation to find out whether a low-dose and short-term prednisolone is effective against AI-induced arthralgia in 27 patients with breast cancer. Patients were administered 5 mg of oral prednisolone once a day in the morning for only one week. Patients were then asked to answer a questionnaire about joint pain symptoms at one week, one month and two months after the beginning of prednisolone use. Joint pain symptoms improved in 67% of patients immediately after prednisolone use, with 63% still reporting analgesic effect at one month, and 52% at two months after beginning internal use of prednisolone. At one week, one month and two months after the use of prednisolone, 30%, 30% and 26% of patients reported improved daily life, respectively. Our results suggest that prednisolone could substitute non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetoaminophen or cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors in patients with AI-induced arthralgia.
Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Makoto
M
Kubo
Hideya
H
Onishi
Syoji
S
Kuroki
Masayuki
M
Okido
Kazuo
K
Shimada
Kazunori
K
Yokohata
Shuyo
S
Umeda
Takahiro
T
Ogawa
Masao
M
Tanaka
Mitsuo
M
Katano
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000077384:Anastrozole; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077289:Letrozole; D008875:Middle Aged; D009570:Nitriles / Q000009:adverse effects; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014230:Triazoles / Q000009:adverse effects
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; D014230:Triazoles; D000077384:Anastrozole; D000077289:Letrozole; D011239:Prednisolone