One in five postmenopausal women with estrogen-positive breast cancer do not take the newer chemoprevention hormone therapy aromatase inhibitor drugs to prevent recurrence as prescribed, according Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals researchers who conducted a study to determine drug usage.

Aromatase inhibitors, such as Anastrozole, have been shown to be an effective means of blocking estrogen that fuels cancer for women diagnosed with estrogen-positive breast cancer, and Dana Farber's Dr. Ann Partridge warns that, "Women may be compromising their care, and ultimately their survival, if they do not take these medications as recommended."

Despite warnings, a significant number of women are choosing to discontinue use and the researchers of this survey can only speculate as to the reasons why. Some of the reasons they believe play a role in the women's decision not to comply with recommended treatment are: fear of side effects, actual experience of side effects, cost of treatment, and negative health beliefs that treatment will not help.

From a personal insight, the most common reason I know of as to why women are not taking this medication, or discontinue usage, is the fact that these drugs do not have a long history of use, and one can only guess what the possible, and presently unknown, long-term side effects will end up being. While Dr. Partridge states without a shadow of a doubt that these new aromatase inhibitor drugs are effective in breast cancer recurrence, only time itself will remedy the hesitation and non-compliance.

Some of the aromatase inhibitors include Anastrozole (Arimidex), Letrozole (Femara), Exemestane (Aromasin) and Formestane (Lentaron). To learn more about aromatase inhibitors, visit the National Cancer Institute's aromatase inhibitors digest.

The International Aromatase Inhibitor Expert Panel, a panel of 24 breast cancer specialists from Europe, the USA, Australia, China and Brazil, has reconfirmed that aromatase inhibitors (AIs) such as Arimidex, are superior to Tamoxifen in the chemoprevention drug treatment of postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed hormone-sensitive, early breast cancer.

"Over the last three years, there has been an influx of new information about the use of aromatase inhibitors in early breast cancer, and while this is great news, it has created a great deal of confusion. This guidance helps to clarify considerations for use of AIs in everyday practice. These data provide the evidence that support using an aromatase inhibitor at the earliest opportunity," commented panel member Dr. Aman Buzdar, professor of medicine for the department of breast medical oncology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

While aromatase inhibitors are better tolerated and cause less potentially life-threatening side effects than Tamoxifen, Als do increase bone fracture risk -- which is said to be a problem that can be watched for and effectively treated. However, the long-term use of aromatase inhibitors and the effects on heart disease are yet to be determined.

It is, "I've got good news, and then I've got some really bad news." Ohio State University College of Pharmacy researchers competed a study on Nimesulide, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and found it may have the ability to prevent breast cancer. Seems like good news -- useful news -- doesn't it. But wait. Nimesulide was banned from clinical use and over-the-counter sales in the United States after it was linked to liver damage and other sometimes fatal side effects.

The researchers explain that Nimesulide blocked an enzyme that causes estrogen-dependent breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Right now, postmenopausal women with estrogen-dependent breast cancer are prescribed aromatase inhibitors, which not only block estrogen production in the breast but also in the rest of the body. This means that the brain and bones, which depend on estrogen too, suffer from lack of estrogen. Whereas, according to the researchers, Nimesulide only blocks estrogen in the breast. Sounds like a better deal because, frankly, no one knows what the long-term effects of estrogen-deprivation on the brain and bones might be for women taking aromatase inhibitors. But what about the liver damage and other sometimes fatal side effects from Nimesulide? Thanks, but no thanks. Just pass me the aspirin and let's both agree that nobody calls anybody in the morning.

Radio New Zealand reports Novartis, a world leader in research and development of pharmaceuticals, will step up and fully cover the cost of aromatase inhibitors for women with breast cancer, which it's competitor AstraZeneca, and Pharmac, the government's drug funding agency, refuses to do. Pharmac fully funds aromatase inhibitors, chemo prevention breast cancer drugs, if the patient is terminally ill, or cannot tolerate Tamoxifen, but not in any other circumstance. In recent research, aromatase inhibitors have proven more effective, with fewer life-threatening side effects than Tamoxifen, at preventing breast cancer relapse in postmenopausal women with estrogen-positive breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors are now the drug of choice for the majority of postmenopausal women. Tamoxifen, once the gold standard as a chemoprevention breast cancer drug for women with estrogen-positive breast cancer, has been eclipsed by the introduction of aromatase inhibitors.