Gain vs. Pain: Is It Time To Switch Back To Tamoxifen?

Now, results of a study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium last December might provide hope for women caught in this damned-if-you-do situation. If extended results of the BIG 1-98 trial, comparing Femara to tamoxifen, can be applied to all AIs, then relief may be on the way for anyone considering dropping their therapy due to pain.

It appears that taking Femara for 2 years, then switching to tamoxifen for the next 3 years, provides equal benefit to taking Femara for 5 years.

So… Does that mean that if you’re in severe pain from Femara, you can quit taking it after 2 years and switch to tamoxifen without increasing your risk of recurrence? Or if you’re at high risk for osteoporosis, you can switch to bone-building tamoxifen after 2 years of bone-destroying Femara—and receive the same protection from recurrence?

Apparently so.

The picture isn’t complete yet; researchers are continuing to study the long-range efficacy of both AIs and tamoxifen. And only Femara—not Arimidex or Aromasin—have been tested against tamoxifen in quite this way.

But if you’re currently at a point where you’re considering discontinuing your AI due to pain or bone loss, ask your doctor about tamoxifen. It looks like the gold standard of hormonal therapy might not be as tarnished as we thought a year or so ago.