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Marily · 05-05-2006, 01:41 PM

Hi this is where I started my investigation on why I needed to switch. I also spoke to a Dr at "Cancer Servivors Cure meeting" in Dallas and he told me if he were my Doctor, he would have had me off Tamoxifen at least two years ago? Hope this helps you.. Hugs Marily

this is quoted from Breast Cancer .org
Two recent studies have looked at switching from tamoxifen to Arimidex and from tamoxifen to Aromasin. And two small studies have showed a benefit of switching from tamoxifen to Arimidex. In June 2004, a large study showed that women who switched to Aromasin after two to three years of taking tamoxifen were significantly more likely to live disease-free than women who took the standard five years of tamoxifen. In the study reviewed here, the same researchers looked at the results after an additional year of follow-up (for a total of 30 months) for the women in the original study.

Study design: The participants were 4,742 post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive, early-stage breast cancer. All of the women had taken tamoxifen for two to three years.

The researchers randomly assigned the women to two groups:

Half switched from tamoxifen to Aromasin, which they took for about two and a half more years.
Half continued to take tamoxifen for about another two and a half years.

After more than 90% of the women had finished taking either treatment to complete a total of five years of hormonal therapy, the researchers looked at disease-free survival (how many women were alive without the cancer at that time) and overall survival (how many women were alive, with or without a recurrence) in the two groups.

Results: The researchers found a significant difference between the two groups in the number of women who had a recurrence in the same breast, or developed a new cancer in the other breast:

Of the women who switched to Aromasin, 6% had a recurrence or a new cancer.
Of the women who stayed on tamoxifen, 9.5% had a recurrence or a new cancer.

This means that after completing five years of hormonal therapy, the women in the group that switched from tamoxifen to Aromasin were about a third less likely than the women who stayed on tamoxifen to have recurrent disease or a new cancer in the other breast.

Both groups of women did well and were living a long time. Overall survival was similar in both groups.

Conclusion: The researchers concluded that switching to Aromasin after two to three years of tamoxifen significantly improved disease-free survival compared to the standard five years of tamoxifen for post-menopausal women with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.

Take-home message: This study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that aromatase inhibitors are better than tamoxifen for reducing the risk of the cancer coming back in post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive, early-stage disease.

Based on this and other recent studies, researchers are recommending changes in guidelines for hormonal treatment in post-menopausal women.

Here are some key points to consider with your doctor in making treatment decisions about hormonal therapy:

If you're a post-menopausal woman taking tamoxifen, you might want to discuss the possibility of switching to Arimidex or Aromasin, which may have fewer side effects than tamoxifen.
If you're choosing your first hormonal therapy, Arimidex has advantages over tamoxifen, in terms of greater benefit and fewer side effects .
If you've completed five years of tamoxifen, consider Femara for extended protection against recurrence.
Be aware of side effects of each medication. A low risk of blood clots and endometrial cancer is associated with tamoxifen. Aromatase inhibitors can cause bone loss, aches, and pains.

Together, you and your doctor can decide which treatment is best for you at this time. You'll see your doctor regularly as you go through treatment and will be able to talk about your treatment plan and how you feel about it. You can adjust your treatment over time as appropriate and necessary.

Keep visiting breastcancer.org for research updates on hormonal therapies.

05-05-2006, 01:41 PM	#33
Marily Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Aurora CO Posts: 75	Why I switched from Tamoxifen to Aromasin Hi this is where I started my investigation on why I needed to switch. I also spoke to a Dr at "Cancer Servivors Cure meeting" in Dallas and he told me if he were my Doctor, he would have had me off Tamoxifen at least two years ago? Hope this helps you.. Hugs Marily this is quoted from Breast Cancer .org Two recent studies have looked at switching from tamoxifen to Arimidex and from tamoxifen to Aromasin. And two small studies have showed a benefit of switching from tamoxifen to Arimidex. In June 2004, a large study showed that women who switched to Aromasin after two to three years of taking tamoxifen were significantly more likely to live disease-free than women who took the standard five years of tamoxifen. In the study reviewed here, the same researchers looked at the results after an additional year of follow-up (for a total of 30 months) for the women in the original study. Study design: The participants were 4,742 post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive, early-stage breast cancer. All of the women had taken tamoxifen for two to three years. The researchers randomly assigned the women to two groups: Half switched from tamoxifen to Aromasin, which they took for about two and a half more years. Half continued to take tamoxifen for about another two and a half years. After more than 90% of the women had finished taking either treatment to complete a total of five years of hormonal therapy, the researchers looked at disease-free survival (how many women were alive without the cancer at that time) and overall survival (how many women were alive, with or without a recurrence) in the two groups. Results: The researchers found a significant difference between the two groups in the number of women who had a recurrence in the same breast, or developed a new cancer in the other breast: Of the women who switched to Aromasin, 6% had a recurrence or a new cancer. Of the women who stayed on tamoxifen, 9.5% had a recurrence or a new cancer. This means that after completing five years of hormonal therapy, the women in the group that switched from tamoxifen to Aromasin were about a third less likely than the women who stayed on tamoxifen to have recurrent disease or a new cancer in the other breast. Both groups of women did well and were living a long time. Overall survival was similar in both groups. Conclusion: The researchers concluded that switching to Aromasin after two to three years of tamoxifen significantly improved disease-free survival compared to the standard five years of tamoxifen for post-menopausal women with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Take-home message: This study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that aromatase inhibitors are better than tamoxifen for reducing the risk of the cancer coming back in post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive, early-stage disease. Based on this and other recent studies, researchers are recommending changes in guidelines for hormonal treatment in post-menopausal women. Here are some key points to consider with your doctor in making treatment decisions about hormonal therapy: If you're a post-menopausal woman taking tamoxifen, you might want to discuss the possibility of switching to Arimidex or Aromasin, which may have fewer side effects than tamoxifen. If you're choosing your first hormonal therapy, Arimidex has advantages over tamoxifen, in terms of greater benefit and fewer side effects . If you've completed five years of tamoxifen, consider Femara for extended protection against recurrence. Be aware of side effects of each medication. A low risk of blood clots and endometrial cancer is associated with tamoxifen. Aromatase inhibitors can cause bone loss, aches, and pains. Together, you and your doctor can decide which treatment is best for you at this time. You'll see your doctor regularly as you go through treatment and will be able to talk about your treatment plan and how you feel about it. You can adjust your treatment over time as appropriate and necessary. Keep visiting breastcancer.org for research updates on hormonal therapies. Last edited by Marily; 05-05-2006 at 01:43 PM..