Pfizer's Aromasin boosts DFS 11% in early breast cancer

Pfizer's aromatase inhibitor Aromasin (exemestane) given to women with early breast cancer reduces the relative risk of disease recurrence (measured by disease-free survival) by 11%, (p=0.12), compared to tamoxifen.

Data from the landmark TEAM study involving nearly 10,000 postmenopausal women were presented by the world drug giant at this year's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Pfizer noted that, while the result from the primary analysis was not statistically significant, this DFS relative risk benefit with exemestane increased further to a statistically significant 17% (p=0.022) when patients who discontinued or crossed over early from the tamoxifen to exemestane arm were removed from the analysis.

The multicenter trial compared early events by measuring DFS at 2.75 years in patients randomized to initial therapy with either tamoxifen or exemestane. An exploratory analysis also found that women on exemestane had a 19% lower relative risk of developing tumors in other parts of their body compared to those on tamoxifen.