Randomized trial demonstrates improved outcomes with letrozole in postmenopausal breast cancer after tamoxifen, indicating benefits of extended endocrine therapy.
Key Points
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of extended adjuvant therapy with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole compared to placebo in postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer who have completed approximately five years of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy.
Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer who completed 4.5 to 6 years of adjuvant tamoxifen were assigned to receive letrozole or placebo.
Letrozole therapy significantly improves disease-free survival compared to placebo in postmenopausal women completing standard tamoxifen treatment.
Treatment with letrozole substantially reduces the risk of distant recurrence and contralateral breast cancer.