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Given the Choice, Women Prefer Endocrine Treatment With Zoladex(R) (goserelin) to Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Early Breast Cancer

London, November 16 (ots/PRNewswire)

New research published
today in the European Journal of Cancer (EJC) (1) indicates that an
overwhelming 78 per cent of healthy premenopausal women would prefer
goserelin ('Zoladex (TM)') therapy to chemotherapy if they were to
develop oestrogen-receptor positive (ER+) early breast cancer,
because of its superior side effect profile.
Women in the study were asked to imagine that they had been
diagnosed with early breast cancer and were provided with scenarios
describing the administration and side-effects and impact on
fertility of treatment with goserelin and treatment with standard
chemotherapy (i) (CMF). The women were then asked a series of
questions to determine which treatment they would choose and why. Of
a total 200 women, aged between 25 and 49 years of age, 78 per cent
favoured goserelin, 11 per cent chemotherapy and 11 per cent remained
undecided.
The study found that women viewed the side-effect profile of
goserelin as more acceptable than standard chemotherapy. Most women
questioned would prefer to avoid the side effects associated with
chemotherapy, in particular hair loss. Retaining fertility was
important for a subgroup of predominantly younger women who have not
yet had or not completed their families.
Professor Lesley Fallowfield, the study author and Director of
Cancer Research UK's Psychosocial Oncology Group commented: "It is
really important that women are given full information by their
doctors and specialist nurses about the affect that different
treatments may have physically, emotionally and practically before
making any decisions about treatment options.
We need to recognise that the side-effects of chemotherapy,
especially hair loss, are potentially devastating to young women
already coming to terms with a life-changing diagnosis of breast
cancer."
Researcher Rhona McGurk, who conducted most of the interviews
said, "Over a third of women felt that goserelin would be more
convenient and less disruptive to normal life than chemotherapy."
Clinical trial data has shown the equivalent efficacy of goserelin
therapy compared with CMF regimes.(2) However, despite clinical trial
results and treatment guidelines from St Gallen and EUSOMA,
premenopausal women with hormone-sensitive early breast cancer are
rarely offered the choice of goserelin. These findings suggest that
premenopausal women with hormone-sensitive, early breast cancer
should be offered the choice of either adjuvant hormone therapy or
adjuvant chemotherapy. Additionally, data from breast cancer patients
shows that overall quality of life is significantly better with
goserelin than with CMF during the first six months of therapy.(3)
Professor Lesley Fallowfield added, "Despite long-term efficacy
and tolerability data to support the use of goserelin in the
treatment of premenopausal women with hormone-sensitive, early breast
cancer and the different impacts that the treatments have on quality
of life, many clinicians still do not even offer women the option of
goserelin."
Although breast cancer is more common in women who have gone
through the menopause, hundreds of thousands of premenopausal women
are diagnosed with early breast cancer at some point during their
life. Moreover, 60 per cent of premenopausal breast cancer patients
have hormone-sensitive disease (4) and should therefore be suitable
to receive hormonal therapy.(5)
Goserelin ('Zoladex'(TM) 3.6mg) is indicated in more than 100
countries For use in the hormonal (endocrine) treatment of breast
cancer in Premenopausal women. First licensed for the treatment of
breast cancer in Premenopausal women in 1990, its indication now
covers treatment of both early and advanced stages of the disease in
many countries.
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged
in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of
prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services.
It is one of the top five pharmaceutical companies in the world
with healthcare sales of over US$18.8 billion and leading positions
in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience
and respiratory products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index (Global and European) as well as the FTSE4Good
Index.
'Zoladex'(TM) is a trademark of the AstraZeneca group of
companies.
(i) CMF is named after the initials of drugs involved in
chemotherapy. They are called: cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5
fluorouracil (5FU).
Notes to editors:
EUSOMA = European Society of Mastology
References:
1. Fallowfield L, et al. Same gain, less pain: potential patient
preference for adjuvant treatment in premenopausal women with early
breast cancer. Eur J Cancer, 2004;40: 2403-2410
2. Kaufmann M et al, Survival analyses from the ZEBRA study:
goserelin (Zoladex) versus CMF in premenopausal women with
node-positive breast cancer, Eur J Cancer. 2003;39(12):11-7
3. De Haes H, Olschewski M Kaufman et al. Quality of Life in
Goserelin-Treated Versus Cyclophosphamide_ Methotrexate _
Fluorouracil-Treated Premenopausal and Perimenopausal Patients With
Node-Positive, Early Breast Cancer: The Zoladex Early Breast Cancer
Research Association Trialists Group J Clin Oncol 2003:21:4510-6
4. Osbourne, CK. Heterogeneity in hormone receptor status in
primary and metastatic breast cancer. Seminars in Oncology
1985:12;3:317-26
5. Hayes, DF. Atlas of Breast Cancer (Hayes DF ed) Mosby Europe
Ltd. London 1993 10.2-10.12
For further information, please visit
www.astrazenecapressoffice.com

Contact:

Carol Hills, Global Brand Manager, Zoladex, AstraZeneca, Tel:
+44-1625-230-322, Email: carol.hills@astrazeneca.com or Alison
Wright, Global PR Manager, Oncology, AstraZeneca, Tel:
+44-1625-230-076, Email: Alison.K.Wright@astrazeneca.com

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