Breast Cancer Health Center

Aromatase Inhibitors May Raise Heart Risks

Aromatase Inhibitors vs. Tamoxifen: Other Findings

Among other findings of the new study:

Women who took aromatase inhibitors were 47% more likely to suffer a fracture than those on tamoxifen, regardless of how long they took the medicine.

Women on tamoxifen were more likely to develop endometrial cancer and dangerous blood clots in the legs.

There was a suggestion that women who switched to aromatase inhibitors after starting on tamoxifen were less likely to die from something other than breast cancer compared with those who started treatment with the newer medications.

The risk of serious side effects was similar when aromatase inhibitors were used as an initial treatment compared with switching to aromatase inhibitors after treatment with tamoxifen.

The much higher cost of the aromatase inhibitors has been an issue for some women. But that is starting to change as generic version of the drugs become available, Buzdar says.

A woman should discuss all the pros and cons of each treatment with their doctor, Amir says.

This study was presented at a medical conference. The findings should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.