Exemestane Compared With Tamoxifen in Treating Women With Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer

Summary

RATIONALE: Estrogen can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. Hormone therapy using exemestane or tamoxifen may fight cancer by blocking the uptake of estrogen. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II/III trial to compare the effectiveness of exemestane with that of tamoxifen in treating postmenopausal women who have locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer.

Timeline

Start

1996-05

Primary completion

2002-12

Completion

—

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

paper However, these early differences (Wilcoxon P = .028) did not translate to a longer-term benefit in PFS, the primary study end point (log-rank P = .121). PMID 18794551 ↗

Publications

• Results Paridaens RJ, Dirix LY, Beex LV, Nooij M, Cameron DA, Cufer T, Piccart MJ, Bogaerts J, Therasse P. Phase III study comparing exemestane with tamoxifen as first-line hormonal treatment of metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women: the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Breast Cancer Cooperative Group. J Clin Oncol. 2008 Oct 20;26(30):4883-90. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.14.4659. Epub 2008 Sep 15.
• Results Atalay G, Dirix L, Biganzoli L, Beex L, Nooij M, Cameron D, Lohrisch C, Cufer T, Lobelle JP, Mattiaci MR, Piccart M, Paridaens R. The effect of exemestane on serum lipid profile in postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer: a companion study to EORTC Trial 10951, 'Randomized phase II study in first line hormonal treatment for metastatic breast cancer with exemestane or tamoxifen in postmenopausal patients'. Ann Oncol. 2004 Feb;15(2):211-7. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdh064.
• Results Paridaens R, Therasse P, Dirix L, et al.: First line hormonal treatment (HT) for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) with exemestane (E) or tamoxifen (T) in postmenopausal patients (pts): A randomized phase III trial of the EORTC Breast group. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 22 (Suppl 14): A-515, 6s, 2004.
• Results Paridaens R, Therasse P, Dirix L, et al.: First results of a randomized phase III trial comparing exemestane versus tamoxifen as first-line hormone therapy (HT) for postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) : EORTC 10951 in collaboration with the exemestane working group and NCIC Clinical Trials Group. [Abstract] Eur J Cancer 2 (Suppl 3): A-241, 126, 2004.

Drugs

Indications