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New treatments following Arimidex?

Page last modified on: November 20, 2008
Question from Tweeti: Are there any new treatments on the horizon for those who have completed five years of Arimidex?
Answer —Generosa Grana, M.D., F.A.C.P.: At this point, we don't have any clinical trial information to support use of Arimidex beyond five years. There is a study, as I mentioned, looking at 10 years vs. five of Femara, but it will be some years before data from that trial become available. So in my current clinical practice, I discontinue the aromatase inhibitor in early-stage breast cancer at five years. The issue is different for women who have advanced or metastatic breast cancer, in which case most oncologists would leave them on hormonal therapy indefinitely or as long as that therapy is working.

Data was presented at San Antonio focusing on two to three years of tamoxifen vs. 10 years of tamoxifen, and although in women with lymph-node-positive breast cancer there was a slight benefit to longer vs. shorter tamoxifen, that benefit was really seen in the first four to five years of tamoxifen rather than in years five to 10. So even with drugs such as tamoxifen, there is no data to support longer use of tamoxifen.

There are two studies currently being done in Europe—ATLAS and ATOM—that will give us data on longer tamoxifen, 10 vs. five years, but until that data becomes available, the standard of care is five years of tamoxifen or five years of an aromatase inhibitor. For the woman who got five years of tamoxifen if she is post-menopausal, one could consider using five years of an aromatase inhibitor after the tamoxifen, i.e. five years of Femara.

On Wednesday, December 21, 2005, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2005. Generosa Grana, M.D., F.A.C.P. and moderator Marisa Weiss, M.D. brought you the highlights of the 2005 Breast Cancer Symposium and answered your questions about the latest diagnostic and treatment options for breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Generosa Grana, M.D., F.A.C.PGenerosa Grana, M.D., F.A.C.P. is the director of the Cooper Cancer Institute and heads the division of hematology/medical oncology at Cooper University Hospital.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

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