SAN ANTONIO — The long-awaited results of the Adjuvant Treatment with Zoledronic Acid in Stage II/III Breast Cancer, the AZURE trial, will be presented at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held here Dec. 8-12.
"Adjuvant use of bisphosphonates like zoledronic acid is widespread among women with breast cancer, and the results of this trial will help answer many questions as well invite new ones," said Robert Coleman, M.D., professor of medical oncology at the University of Sheffield in England.
Coleman will present the results of AZURE during a press conference in room 217D of the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010, at 12:30 p.m. CT. Results of this study are being withheld until that time.
Reporters who cannot attend the press conference in person can participate using the following call-in information:
- U.S. and Canada: (888) 282-7404
- International: (706) 679-5207
- Access Code: 25348290
The AZURE trial included 3,360 patients from 174 centers. Coleman and colleagues randomized patients to standard therapy or standard therapy plus zoledronic acid for five years. All patients had stage II/III breast cancer.
Coleman will present the primary outcome of disease-free survival, as well as secondary outcomes and important subgroup analyses.
In addition to Coleman, the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium will have the following commentators on hand to answer questions during the press conference:
- C. Kent Osborne, M.D., director of the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at the Baylor College of Medicine and symposium program chairperson;
- Rowan Chlebowski, M.D., Ph.D., medical oncologist at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center; and,
- Sharon Giordano, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor in the department of breast medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
- Michael Gnant, M.D., professor of surgery at the Medical University of Vienna, and lead investigator of the ABCSG-12 study, which evaluated zoledronic acid in premenopausal women with hormone-sensitive, early-stage breast cancer.
Gnant will discuss the results of the following abstract, which will lift embargo during this press conference.
Embargoed for Release: 12:30 p.m. CT, Dec. 9, 2010
"The Carry-Over Effect of Adjuvant Zoledronic Acid: Comparison of 48- and 62-Month Analyses of ABCSG-12 Suggests That the Benefits of Combining Zoledronic Acid with Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy Persist Long after Completion of Therapy." (SABCS Abstract #P5-11-02; December 11; 5:30-7:30 p.m. CT).
Follow the AACR on Twitter @AACR, and throughout the meeting using the hash tag #SABCS.
Recordings of the teleconferences and video interviews with researchers will posted to the AACR website throughout the meeting: http://www.aacr.org/page23506.aspx.
The mission of the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is to produce a unique and comprehensive scientific meeting that encompasses the full spectrum of breast cancer research, facilitating the rapid translation of new knowledge into better care for breast cancer patients. The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and Baylor College of Medicine are joint sponsors of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This collaboration utilizes the clinical strengths of the CTRC and Baylor, and the AACR's scientific prestige in basic, translational and clinical cancer research to expedite the delivery of the latest scientific advances to the clinic. The 33rd annual symposium is expected to draw nearly 9,000 participants from more than 90 countries.