Dr. Coleman on Findings From the AZURE Trial for Breast Cancer Treatment

Robert E. Coleman, MBBS, MD, FRCP, FRCPE, professor of Medical Oncology and head of the Academic Unit of Clinical Oncology at the University of Sheffield, discusses the safety findings from the 10-year follow-up of the adjuvant treatment with zoledronic acid (ZOL) in stage II/III breast cancer, which was studied in the AZURE trial.

The AZURE trial demonstrated that the ZOL treatment does not work for everyone, Coleman explains. The study has shown that although there is a benefit in postmenopausal women, there is potential harm for younger women. The bisphosphonate protecting the bone has encourages the cancer cells to spread to other organs such as the lungs and liver, leading to a much higher relapse rate outside the bone in women under 40.

The transcription factor, MAF, controls PTHRP, which is a hormone linked to bone metabolism and cancer metastasis. Tumors that overexpress MAF are less likely to benefit from ZOL. MAF overexpression still needs to be studied further, Coleman says.