Skip Navigation


Annals of Oncology Advance Access originally published online on January 15, 2009
Annals of Oncology 2009 20(4):655-659; doi:10.1093/annonc/mdn687
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
20/4/655    most recent
mdn687v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mustacchi, G.
Right arrow Articles by Dellach, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mustacchi, G.
Right arrow Articles by Dellach, C.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

breast cancer

Neo-adjuvant exemestane in elderly patients with breast cancer: a phase II, multicentre, open-label, Italian study

G. Mustacchi1,*, M. Mansutti2, C. Sacco2, S. Barni3, A. Farris4, M. Cazzaniga3, M. Cozzi2 and C. Dellach1

1 Cattedra di Oncologia Medica-Centro Oncologico, Trieste
2 Dipartimento Interaziendale di Oncologia, Udine
3 UO Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera, Treviglio
4 Cattedra Oncologia Medica, Università di Sassari, Sassari, Italy

* Correspondence to: Prof. G. Mustacchi, Centro Oncologico, Università di Trieste, Via Pietà 19, 34100 Trieste, Italy. Tel: +39-040-3992232l; Fax: +39-040-7606111; E-mail: g.mustacchi{at}fmc.units.it

Background: The steroidal aromatase inhibitor exemestane has demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of breast cancer in the metastatic and adjuvant settings. Smaller trials have also reported efficacy in the neo-adjuvant setting.

Patients and methods: This phase II, open-label, multicentre study examined the efficacy and safety of neo-adjuvant exemestane in women aged >70 years with operable, receptor-rich breast cancer. Consecutive eligible patients received exemestane 25 mg/day for 6 months before planned surgery. The primary end point was clinical response.

Results: Overall, 117 patients were recruited (median age 80 years). The objective response rate in 112 assessable patients (85 with clinical and mammographic evaluation; 27 with clinical evaluation only) was 69.6% (two complete responses; 76 partial responses). In patients who responded, median tumour size reduced from 4.81 to 2.12 cm. Seventy-seven patients (68.7%) continued to surgery. Of the 40 patients eligible for breast-conserving surgery, 34 (85%) deemed unfit for this procedure at baseline. Exemestane-related adverse events were unremarkable except for grade 3 allergic skin reactions in two patients (1.8%).

Conclusion: Neo-adjuvant exemestane given for 6 months appears to be effective for receptor-rich breast cancer in older patients. There may now be sufficient evidence to support the use of neo-adjuvant in this patient population.

Key words: aromatase inhibitor, breast cancer, endocrine therapy, exemestane, neo-adjuvant

Received for publication May 9, 2008. Revision received September 24, 2008. Accepted for publication September 29, 2008.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.