Clinical experience with exemestane in postmenopausal women at increased risk of breast cancer.

Authors

null

Mia Sorkin

Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT

Mia Sorkin , Donna Lapolt , Lajos Pusztai , Erin Wysong Hofstatter

Organizations

Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, Yale University, New Haven, CT, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

Background: Exemestane has recently been identified as an effective breast cancer chemoprevention agent. This drug may be more appealing to patients than tamoxifen or raloxifene, since it does not increase the risks of thrombosis, cataracts and uterine cancer. Poor patient acceptance of tamoxifen and raloxifene as chemoprevention is well-documented but patient acceptance rates for exemestane have not been reported. The goal of this study was to assess exemestane use in a breast cancer prevention clinic. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to capture patient characteristics, medical history and chemoprevention uptake of all postmenopausal women presenting to the Yale Breast Cancer Prevention Clinic from November 2011-November 2012. Descriptive statistics are presented. Results: Fifty-six postmenopausal women deemed eligible for initiation of chemoprevention were seen during the study timeframe, with a mean age of 58 (range 42-79). Risk categories included: 22 women (39%) diagnosed with breast atypia, 7 with LCIS (12%), 4 with prior DCIS (7%), 41 with family history of breast cancer (73%), and 8 women with a deleterious BRCA 1 or 2 mutation (14%). 22 (39%) of these women had osteopenia or osteoporosis. Of all eligible women, 13 opted to start a chemoprevention medication (23%); 8 of whom opted for raloxifene, 1 for tamoxifen and 4 for exemestane. While exemestane comprised 30.7% (4/13) of chemoprevention medication uptake, only 4 of 56 women eligible for chemoprevention decided to take exemestane (7%). Conclusions: Chemoprevention uptake rates of postmenopausal women in the setting of a breast cancer prevention clinic are higher (23%) than those reported in the general population, but remain low overall. Uptake of exemestane appears lower than that of raloxifene but higher than tamoxifen. A large proportion of postmenopausal women (39%) have osteopenia or osteoporosis which limits exemestane uptake in a breast cancer prevention setting.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2013 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Cancer Prevention/Epidemiology

Track

Cancer Prevention/Epidemiology

Sub Track

Cancer Prevention

Citation

J Clin Oncol 31, 2013 (suppl; abstr 1565)

DOI

10.1200/jco.2013.31.15_suppl.1565

Abstract #

1565

Poster Bd #

5B

Abstract Disclosures