Exemestane Compared With Tamoxifen in Treating Postmenopausal Women With Primary Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Clinical Trial

Official title: Randomized Double-Blind Trial in Postmenopausal Women With Primary Breast Cancer Who Have Received Adjuvant Tamoxifen for 2-3 Years, Comparing Subsequent Adjuvant Exemestane Treatment With Further Tamoxifen

Status Active, not recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

RATIONALE: Estrogen can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. Hormone therapy using exemestane or tamoxifen may fight breast cancer by blocking the uptake of estrogen. It is not yet known whether exemestane is more effective than tamoxifen in treating breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of exemestane with that of tamoxifen in treating postmenopausal women with primary breast cancer who have already received 2-3 years of tamoxifen following surgery.

Clinical Trial Description

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare, in terms of disease-free survival and overall survival, the sequential administration of exemestane with administration of further tamoxifen until 5 years of therapy is achieved in postmenopausal women with operable breast cancer who have already received 2-3 years of adjuvant tamoxifen. II. Compare the regimens in terms of the incidence of contralateral breast cancer and long term tolerability of the regimens in these patients. III. Determine the tolerability of each regimen in terms of endometrial status, bone metabolism, lipid profile, and coagulation profile in these patients. IV. Assess quality of life in these patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double blind, multicenter study. Following 2-3 years of adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen, patients are randomized to receive either oral tamoxifen daily or oral exemestane daily for the remainder of the 5 year period in the absence of disease relapse or unacceptable toxicity. Quality of life is assessed at some centers. Patients are followed at least every 3 months for the first year of treatment, every 6 months for the next two years and then annually thereafter until year 10.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 4400 patients (2200 patients in each arm) will be accrued for this study. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Breast Cancer
• Breast Neoplasms

• NCT number: NCT00003418
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: February 1998