Harold Burstein, MD, PhD

Harold Burstein, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses some key findings from the follow-up data from the SOFT trial.

The SOFT trial was examining the outcomes of adding ovarian suppression to tamoxifen and standard chemother in patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. Long-term data were presented at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) and, according to Burstein, there were three interesting key points.

First, the long-term follow-up showed that even the low-risk patient population saw clinical benefit with ovarian suppression. However, another key finding was discovering that the patient population that responds best to treatment, which is those who had a higher-risk disease. Overall, researchers see that there is an emerging survival benefit for patients who took ovarian-suppressing agents.

Findings like these are both encouraging and important, and should encourage young women to consider ovarian suppression as a part of their breast cancer treatment plan.

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Harold Burstein, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute discusses some key findings from the follow-up data from the SOFT trial.

Dr. Burstein Discusses Key Updates from the SOFT Trial

Harold J. Burstein, MD, PhD, senior physician, associate professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses adjuvant endocrine therapy for postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer.

Adjuvant endocrine therapy is the standard for most women who have ER-positive early stage breast cancer. But, for postmenopausal women with ER-positive breast cancer, treatment has historically been tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor. Aromatase inhibitors have been shown to have a slight advantage, says Burstein, specifically in women who have higher-risk biologies.

Anti-estrogen therapy remains a critical therapy for postmenopausal women with ER-positive breast cancer, and progress is being made regarding drug selection and duration of treatment, Burstein adds.

Harold J. Burstein, MD, PhD, senior physician, associate professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses adjuvant endocrine therapy for postmenopausal women with ER-positive breast cancer.

Author | Harold Burstein, MD, PhD

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Dr. Burstein Discusses Key Updates from the SOFT Trial

Dr. Burstein on Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy for ER+ Breast Cancer