Abstract

ESTEBAN, E. et al. Adjuvant anti-hormonal treatment of postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Oncología (Barc.) [online]. 2006, vol.29, n.4, pp.26-35. ISSN 0378-4835.

Over the recent decades, tamoxifen has been considered the standard adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer based on its capacity to reduce the annual breast cancer death. More recently, several major randomized controlled trials carried out with three different new aromatase inhibitors used either from the time of primary surgery or after 2-3 or 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy have shown a significant improvement in disease-free survival with respect to tamoxifen therapy. The described treatment-related side effects suggest different profiles of toxicity. Musculoskeletal disorders and cardiovascular events are the most serious side effects associated with the use of aromatase inhibitors, as well as the thromboembolic events and endometrial abnormalities are associated with tamoxifen therapy. An optimal treatment strategy for aromatase inhibitors administration, interventions to prevent or alleviate treatment-related side effects and identification of women at higher risk having more benefit with aromatase inhibitors need to be addressed.

Keywords : Breast cancer; Adjuvant therapy; Aromatase inhibitors; Tamoxifen.

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