A new study by the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) has found that suppressing ovarian function can further reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence by one-fifth in premenopausal women who are also taking tamoxifen.
For younger women with breast cancer, shutting down the ovaries' production of oestrogen can significantly reduce the risk of the cancer coming back, and can save lives, according to the largest ever analysis of ovarian function suppression (OFS) in breast cancer, published today in The Lancet.
Ovarian function suppression is most commonly achieved temporarily using drug injections, meaning ovarian function can recover afterwards, or can be done permanently through surgery or radiotherapy. OFS is one of the oldest treatments used for breast cancer and earlier studies by the EBCTCG have shown it to be effective in reducing the risk of recurrence but it was not known how well it would work alongside other treatments such as tamoxifen or chemotherapy.
‘Only by combining all the available trial evidence in an analysis like this can we give women and their doctors the most reliable picture. These results will inform real treatment decisions, and help women weigh the benefits of OFS against the potential side-effects,’ added Dr Jeremy Braybrooke, Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Oxford Population Health, Consultant Medical Oncologist, and one of the study’s authors.