Breast Cancer Prevention

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 09 Apr 2005 - 16:00 PDT

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Tamoxifen is the only FDA-approved drug for many women at high risk of breast cancer. However, tamoxifen has unwanted side effects, so clinical researchers are seeking alternatives.

One target is exemestane, an aromatase inhibitor. The ExCel Research Study, which started March 30 at UAB and other sites nationwide, has the goal of enrolling 4,500 women in the United States and Canada for a five-year test of exemestane (manufactured by Pfizer as Aromasin) against a placebo.

UAB principal investigator John T. Carpenter, M.D., of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center said, "Breast cancer cells have a difficult time growing without estrogen as a fuel. The body can't produce estrogen without the aromatase enzyme. Exemestane deprives the body of estrogen by irreversibly binding to aromatase."

University of Alabama at Birmingham
http://www.uab.edu/news

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