Use of Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Risk Reduction

Published online before print September 3, 2019, doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.01472

Kala Visvanathan, Carol J. Fabian, Elissa Bantug, Abenaa M. Brewster, Nancy E. Davidson, Andrea DeCensi, Justin D. Floyd, Judy E. Garber, Erin W. Hofstatter, Seema A. Khan, Maria C. Katapodi, Sandhya Pruthi, Rachal Raab, Carolyn D. Runowicz, and Mark R. Somerfield

Purpose

To update the ASCO guideline on pharmacologic interventions for breast cancer risk reduction and provide guidance on clinical issues that arise when deciding to use endocrine therapy for breast cancer risk reduction.

Methods

An Expert Panel conducted targeted systematic literature reviews to identify new studies..

Results

A randomized clinical trial that evaluated the use of anastrozole for reduction of estrogen receptor–positive breast cancers in postmenopausal women at increased risk of developing breast cancer provided the predominant basis for the update.

Recommendations

In postmenopausal women at increased risk, the choice of endocrine therapy now includes anastrozole (1 mg/day) in addition to exemestane (25 mg/day), raloxifene (60 mg/day), or tamoxifen (20 mg/day). The decision regarding choice of endocrine therapy should take into consideration age, baseline comorbidities, and adverse effect profiles. Clinicians should not prescribe anastrozole, exemestane, or raloxifene for breast cancer risk reduction to premenopausal women. Tamoxifen 20 mg/day for 5 years is still considered standard of care for risk reduction in premenopausal women who are at least 35 years old and have completed childbearing. Data on low-dose tamoxifen as an alternative to the standard dose for both pre- and postmenopausal women with intraepithelial neoplasia are discussed in the Clinical Considerations section of this article.

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