Switching from tamoxifen to Aromasin improves Breast Cancer survival rate

Changing to Aromasin (exemestane), from Pfizer, after two to three years of tamoxifen treatment can cut women's risk of dying from Breast Cancer, according to new data. The study, led by Professor Judith Bliss, Director of the Institute of Cancer Research�s Clinical Trials & Statistics Unit, examines the effectiveness of switching to Aromasin after two to three years tamoxifen to complete a total of five years adjuvant treatment. It showed that women who had been switched were 18 per cent less likely to have disease recurrence and were 14 per cent less likely to have died than those who stayed on tamoxifen. The data comes from the long-term Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES). See: "Disease-Related Outcomes With Long-Term Follow-Up: An Updated Analysis of the Intergroup Exemestane Study" Judith Bliss et al. Journal of Clinical Oncology October 31, 2011 (DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2010.33.7899)