Researchers in Spain conducted a Phase III clinical trial called GEICAM. They wanted to compare different chemotherapy regimes in women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. The trial included 252 women who had already been treated with anthracyclines and taxanes and experienced a recurrence.One group of women was treated with Gemzar (gemcitabine) and Navelbine (vinorelbine), the other group was treated with Navelbine alone. The results were published in Lancet Oncology that states the combination of the two drugs improves progression free survival. It was also mentioned that this combination however did not improve overall survival.

When cancer recurs following treatment with anthracyclines and taxanes, some of the strongest chemotherapies for breast cancer, patients have limited treatment options. Researchers continue to search for different chemotherapy combinations that are effective against recurrent breast cancer.

The researchers concluded that anticancer responses were 36 percent for patients treated with Gemzar/Navelbine and 26 percent for patients treated with Navelbine alone.

The new drug exemestane for breast cancer treatment could improve survival rates by 17 percent, new research shows.

A study of 4,742 post-menopausal women found that switching from the present gold-standard breast cancer treatment tamoxifen to the new drug exemestane after two or three years resulted in a dramatic fall in death rates, The Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The new drug, sold under the brand name Aromasin, is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence as an alternative to tamoxifen after two to three years, according to the report.

The study followed the progress of women treated for a total of five years and monitored for a further three years, and women assigned randomly to a full five years of tamoxifen, or treatment with tamoxifen followed by exemestane.

The researchers said that giving women tamoxifen after surgery already reduced the risk of dying by 33 percent, and after another two to three years of exemestane, and with a further three years of post-treatment follow-up, survival was found to be significantly improved with the risk of dying 50 percent lower than if they had received no drug therapy.

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