New Treatment for Breast Cancer
On February 13, 2007
Categories: Breast Cancer, Disease Information, New Treatments, Research
A recent study shows that women who switch from the breast cancer pill tamoxifen to a newer class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors live longer, Italian researchers reported on Monday. This study adds to a growing body of evidence that the new drugs are far safer, preventing cancer with fewer side effects than tamoxifen.
However, aromatase inhibitors are only for women who are post-menopausal. Tamoxifen is still the best choice for younger patients.
Tamoxifen transformed breast cancer therapy when it was shown to reduce the risk of cancer coming back by close to 50 percent. It was also an easy-to-take pill. But the drug raised the risk of death from strokes and endometrial cancer. Then a newer class of drugs, the aromatase inhibitors, was developed. Reuters
