AACR LogoCancer patients may find this news quite interesting. A study claimed that anti-estrogens as therapy for breast cancer could also decrease the danger of mortality from lung cancer.

Around 6,715 women living in the Geneva canton of Switzerland who were detected with breast cancer, between 1980 and 2003 were included in the study. Approximately, 46% of the women were given anti-estrogen therapy, mainly tamoxifen.

Elisabetta Rapiti, M.D., M.P.H., medical researcher with the Geneva Cancer Registry, University of Geneva, Switzerland, commented, “We found a reduction in lung cancer mortality among women treated with anti-estrogens for breast cancer. This work builds on previous studies that had suggested estrogens have a role in lung cancer development and progression.”

Rapiti and colleagues assessed whether anti-estrogen therapy for breast cancer patients supposedly diminished their danger of consequently developing and/or expiring from lung cancer.

By the termination of the study duration, around 40 cases of lung cancer developed. There seemed to be no dissimilarity in the occurrence of lung cancer among women with or devoid of anti-estrogens as opposed to the common population. Nevertheless, the danger of expiring from lung cancer appeared to be considerably lesser among women who were given anti-estrogen therapy.

Rapti mentioned, “Our results are particularly relevant to the research agenda exploring endocrine treatment(s) for lung cancer. If prospective studies confirm our results and find that anti-estrogen agents improve lung cancer outcomes, this could have substantial implications for clinical practice.”

As per Rapti, phase II clinical trials are presently in progress in various centers to assess the use of anti-hormone therapy as an addition to conventional chemotherapy for lung cancer.

The study was presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.