Breast Cancer: Well-known medication could reduce recurrences
updated the 21 October 2015 à 17:56What type of treatment will minimize the risk of recurrence and death in cases of breast cancer in postmenopausal women? According to a new British study, both known and inexpensive medicines are very effective.
Two studies that were published simultaneously this week in the prestigious British journal The Lancet have considered the interests of bisphosphonates and aromatase inhibitors in the prevention of breast cancer recurrence in some women. Good news: the two families of drugs seem more effective.
BISPHOSPHONATES ARE NO LONGER RESERVED TO OSTEOPOROSIS
Bisphosphonates act on the physiology of the bone and are usually used for the fight against osteoporosis. According to the meta-analysis by UK researchers, these molecules have a significant impact on the number of deaths in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. The risk of mortality would decrease by 18% if treatment is started early after diagnosis and the risk of bone metastases would decline by 28%. However, no positive effect was observed among non-menopausal women. The type of bisphosphonates, the grade of the tumor or following chemotherapy does not appear to alter that result.
USEFUL IN MOST BREAST CANCERS
Another class of drugs that have been investigated are aromatase inhibitors. According to the National Cancer Institute, “Aromatase inhibitors prevent androgen from turning into estrogen (estrogen has a role in the growth of some cancer cells). Estrogens have disappeared and can no longer bind to receptors of the hormone-sensitive tumor cell to stimulate its growth. The growth of the latter is stopped.” The researchers compared these drugs to one that refers to the present, tamoxifen, to treat hormone-sensitive cancers (the vast majority of breast cancers). The results are rather impressive. After 5 years, the aromatase inhibitors reduced the risk of recurrence by 30%. And mortality after 10 years is lower than 15% with anti-aromastases compared to tamoxifen. But these medications can also have serious side effects: pain, loss of bone mass or hot flashes. The benefit and risk balance is therefore done on a case by case basis.
Sources: Adjuvant bisphosphonate treatment in early breast cancer: meta-analyses of individual patient data from randomised trials and Aromatase inhibitors versus tamoxifen in early breast cancer: patient-level meta-analysis of the randomised trials, published 23 July 2015.
Maureen Diament
