Printer Friendly

SABCS 2010: Aromatase inhibitors increased risk of heart disease

December 9, 2010

Aromatase inhibitors increased the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women with breast cancer, according to a meta-analysis presented at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.  Researchers examined data from seven large randomized clinical trials that compared tamoxifen with aromatase inhibitors in postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer and found that any duration of an aromatase inhibitor was associated with a 20 percent higher probability of developing cardiovascular disease.  However, the use of aromatase inhibitors was associated with a reduced risk of venous thrombosis and endometrial carcinoma.

As a secondary analysis, researchers determined if switching from treatment with tamoxifen to aromatase inhibitors had any effect on mortality or adverse effects.  The risks for serious adverse effects were similar when aromatase inhibitors were used as an intitial treatment compared with switching to aromatase inhibitors after treatment with tamoxifen.

"However, it appears from the data - and this is strictly hypothesis-generating - that if a woman switches from one drug to another, there is a reduction in the risk from death from causes other than breast cancer.  This suggests that there may be side effects that build up the longer a woman is on a certain drug, but switching drugs may reduce the side effects," said the study author, Dr. Eitan Amir.