Anastrozole Effect on Oestrogen Levels in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): W R Miller, M Stuart, T Sahmoud, J M Dixon
Primary Institution: Breast Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Hypothesis
The study investigates the effect of anastrozole on aromatase activity and oestrogen levels in postmenopausal women with oestrogen receptor-rich breast tumours.
Conclusion
Anastrozole effectively suppresses aromatase activity and reduces oestrogen levels in the breast tissue of postmenopausal women with large or locally advanced, operable, oestrogen receptor-rich breast cancers.
Supporting Evidence
- Anastrozole treatment significantly inhibited peripheral aromatase activity in all patients.
- 16 out of 19 tumours showed decreased aromatase activity after treatment.
- Endogenous levels of both E1 and E2 were significantly reduced with therapy.
Takeaway
Anastrozole is a medicine that helps lower the amount of certain hormones in the body, which can help treat breast cancer in women who have gone through menopause.
Methodology
Twenty-six postmenopausal women with oestrogen receptor-rich breast tumours were randomly assigned to receive either 1 mg or 10 mg of anastrozole daily for 12 weeks, followed by analysis of aromatase activity and oestrogen levels.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the single-centre design and the exclusion of patients with adverse events.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and some patients were excluded from analysis due to ER-negative tumours.
Participant Demographics
Postmenopausal women with operable, oestrogen receptor-rich breast tumours.
Statistical Information
P-Value
P<0.0001 for peripheral aromatase activity; P=0.0009 for tumour aromatase activity; P=0.028 for E1; P=0.0019 for E2.
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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