Survival and safety of exemestane versus tamoxifen after 2-3 years' tamoxifen treatment (Intergroup Exemestane Study): a randomised controlled trial

Coombes, R. Charles and Kilburn, L. S. and Snowdon, C. F. and Paridaens, R. and Coleman, R. E. and Jones, S. E. and Jassem, J. and Van de Velde, C. J. H. and Delozier, T. and Alvarez, I. and Del Mastro, L. and Ortmann, O. and Diedrich, K. and Coates, A. S. and Bajetta, E. and Holmberg, S. B. and Dodwell, D. and Mickiewicz, E. and Andersen, J. and Lonning, P. E. and Cocconi, G. and Forbes, J. and Castiglione, M. and Stuart, N. and Stewart, A. and Fallowfield, L. J. and Bertelli, G. and Hall, E. and Bogle, R. G. and Carpentieri, M. and Colajori, E. and Subar, M. and Ireland, E. and Bliss, J. M. (2007) Survival and safety of exemestane versus tamoxifen after 2-3 years' tamoxifen treatment (Intergroup Exemestane Study): a randomised controlled trial. LANCET, 369 (9561). pp. 559-570. ISSN 0140-6736, 1474-547X

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Abstract

Background Early improvements in disease-free survival have been noted when an aromatase inhibitor is given either instead of or sequentially after tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with oestrogen-receptor-positive early breast cancer. However, little information exists on the long-term effects of aromatase inhibitors after treatment, and whether these early improvements lead to real gains in survival. Methods 4724 postmenopausal patients with unilateral invasive, oestrogen-receptor-positive or oestrogen-receptor-unknown breast cancer who were disease-free on 2-3 years of tamoxifen, were randomly assigned to switch to exemestane (n=2352) or to continue tamoxifen (n=2372) for the remainder of a 5-year endocrine treatment period. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival; overall survival was a secondary endpoint. Efficacy analyses were intention-to-treat. This study is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN11883920. Results After a median follow-up of 55.7 months (range 0-89.7), 809 events contributing to the analysis of disease-free survival had been reported (354 exemestane, 455 tamoxifen); unadjusted hazard ratio 0.76 (95% CI 0.66-0.88, p=0.0001) in favour of exemestane, absolute benefit 3.3% (95% CI 1.6-4.9) by end of treatment (ie, 2.5 years after randomisation). 222 deaths occurred in the exemestane group compared with 261 deaths in the tamoxifen group; unadjusted hazard ratio 0.85 (95% CI 0.71-1.02, p=0.08), 0.83 (0.69-1.00, p=0.05) when 122 patients with oestrogen-receptor-negative disease were excluded. Conclusions Our results suggest that early improvements in disease-free survival noted in patients who switch to exemestane after 2-3 years on tamoxifen persist after treatment, and translate into a modest improvement in overall survival.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: EARLY BREAST-CANCER; BONE-MINERAL DENSITY; POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN; ADJUVANT TREATMENT; CONTINUED TAMOXIFEN; 1ST-LINE THERAPY; PHASE-III; ANASTROZOLE; BIOMARKERS; LETROZOLE;
Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine
Divisions: Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe (Schwerpunkt Frauenheilkunde)
Depositing User: Dr. Gernot Deinzer
Date Deposited: 22 Dec 2020 10:07
Last Modified: 22 Dec 2020 10:07
URI: https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/33179

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