For postmenopausal women diagnosed with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology now recommends the use of aromatase inhibitors hormone-based breast cancer drugs immediately following surgery or after two to three years of the drug tamoxifen.
Previous studies show that patients can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 50 percent following a five-year treatment with tamoxifen, and aromatase inhibitors demonstrate similar results. This is great news, but we made note of the bad news a few weeks ago, and that is a substantial number of women who are given these drugs abandon drug therapy due to side effects, explains ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. Women prescribed these aromatase inhibitors should stick with them for the recommended five years since they could be lifesaving.