There is controversy over the ideal duration of anti-hormone therapy for women with breast cancer.
In women with hormone responsive breast cancer, we treat them after that initial therapy, with ‘anti-hormone medications’ such as Tamoxifen (in the older days) or Arimidex (newer version). These ‘anti hormones’ are in two categories:
Tamoxifen (SERM’s….Selective Estrogen Receptro Modulators) vs Arimidex (Aromatase Inhibitors)
Traditionally, therapy after breast cancer includes a 5 year treatment course of these medications, but the latest article in the journal Lancet, from England, shows that ongoing treatment with Tamoifen provides additional protection and benefits, when continued up to 10 years.
It may be that continuing even longer provides additional benefits, but that is to be seen. For now, we should continue, in general, with these medications, for woman who have been on therapy. More data will be needed to prove that the Aromatase Inhibitors provide similar benefits to the Tamoxifen, but at this point, until the data is in, this is presumed to be a likely result. Still, we will await the data for definitive information.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2961963-1/abstract