News Release

MayoClinic.com provides expert answers about latest breast cancer research findings

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- MayoClinic.com today has posted questions and answers from the lead United States researcher about breast cancer research findings published in today's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. This information has been developed to help people more thoroughly understand the results of an international clinical trial that shows the drug letrozole picks up where tamoxifen leaves off for women who are five years into their treatment for preventing breast cancer recurrence. It can be found at http://mayoclinic.com/goto/?topic=letrozole.

James Ingle, M.D., an oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., was the lead United States researcher for the international clinical trial. In Tamoxifen, letrozole and breast cancer: An interview with a Mayo Clinic specialist, MayoClinic.com explains that for women who have been treated for breast cancer and are now cancer-free, hitting the five-year mark may seem like a milestone after which they would be home free. But that's not necessarily the case. More than half of breast cancers that recur do so after the patient has been cancer-free for five years or longer.

It's widely recognized that tamoxifen (Nolvadex) is an effective preventive therapy for the first five years after breast cancer treatment, but it does not provide the same degree of protection after five years. The new study shows that letrozole (Femara) picks up where tamoxifen leaves off.

MayoClinic.com emphasizes that risk of recurrence varies. Women need to decide with their doctors whether additional treatment is the best course of action for them.

The decision whether or not to use letrozole will be based on a number of factors, including an estimate of remaining risk for developing breast cancer. Potential benefits -- possibly cutting the risk for cancer recurrence in half -- must be put into context with potential side effects.

MayoClinic.com provides more details about the significance of letrozole, how it compares to tamoxifen, what side effects may occur and who might qualify for this new drug.

###

The mission of MayoClinic.com is to empower people to manage their health by providing useful and up-to-date information and tools that reflect the expertise of the more than 2,000 physicians and scientists at Mayo Clinic. MayoClinic.com is owned by Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.