Herceptin and ARIMIDEX(TM) Combination Improves Patient Outcomes in Advanced HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Macclesfield, England (ots/PRNewswire) -

- For International Journalists - Not for US Media

New data, presented for the first time today, show that a
combination of ARIMIDEX(TM)(anastrozole) plus Herceptin (trastuzumab)
is a better treatment option than hormonal therapy alone, for women
with a certain type of advanced breast cancer(1). The new data, from
the first study of its type, show that in a minority group of
postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive, HER2-positive* tumours,
the addition of Herceptin to anastrozole keeps cancer under control
for significantly longer than hormonal therapy alone (median
progression-free survival = 4.8 months vs. 2.4 months respectively).
The data were presented for the first time today at the 31st European
Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Istanbul, Turkey.

Around two-thirds of postmenopausal women with breast cancer have
hormone-sensitive disease and are therefore eligible for treatment
with anastrozole. However, up to a quarter of these women will also
be HER2-positive, which means that they have a particularly
aggressive form of cancer, with a higher likelihood of relapse. For
these particular women with so-called 'co-positive' cancers, the
opportunity to take a combination of these two highly effective
anti-cancer drugs will be a welcome addition to their treatment
programme.

The data presented at ESMO today continue to highlight the current
and future potential of anastrozole in breast cancer. Anastrozole was
the first treatment shown to improve upon the efficacy and
tolerability of tamoxifen in early breast cancer, resulting in
significant changes to treatment practice. Now anastrozole becomes
the first treatment of its kind to demonstrate a benefit in
combination with Herceptin in advanced disease.

Anastrozole in early breast cancer

Additional data(2,3) presented for the first time in Europe at
ESMO today, confirm the benefits of initiating hormonal adjuvant
treatment with anastrozole. Postmenopausal women with
hormone-sensitive, early breast cancer are 26% less likely to suffer
a disease recurrence if treatment is started with anastrozole rather
than tamoxifen. Data from the mature, 68-month analysis of the ATAC**
trial, show that the majority of the recurrences seen with tamoxifen
occur within the first few years of treatment, emphasising the
importance of starting anastrozole treatment early(2).

"Preventing recurrence is the primary aim of adjuvant treatment -
if the cancer doesn't come back, you can't die from it," explained
Joan Houghton, who presented the data today on behalf of the ATAC
Trialists' Group. "In the ATAC trial, over half of the additional
recurrences seen with tamoxifen occurred within the first two and a
half years of surgery. There may still be a place for tamoxifen in
early breast cancer, but these data show us that treating women with
anastrozole, from the outset, provides the optimal protection against
early recurrence."

Importantly, women on anastrozole also suffered far fewer side
effects compared with tamoxifen, meaning that a significantly greater
number were able to complete their treatment(3). One of the major
drawbacks of tamoxifen is that it is known to be associated with some
rare but life-threatening side effects, the majority of which were
also seen to occur in the first few years of treatment.

- Women who took anastrozole experienced fewer strokes, fewer DVTs
and fewer gynaecological side effects than women who took tamoxifen,
over a five year treatment period.

- Women on anastrozole were four times less likely to undergo a
hysterectomy - a procedure often undertaken as a result of
gynaecological abnormalities.

Side effects that were significantly increased with anastrozole
compared with tamoxifen were fractures and joint disorders. When
balanced against the life-threatening side effects of tamoxifen, the
risk of fractures with anastrozole is seen as predictable and
manageable and the risk:benefit ratio for adjuvant therapy is
consistently in favour of anastrozole compared with tamoxifen.

Dr Aman Buzdar of the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Texas, and
Chair of the ATAC Steering Committee concluded: "Starting therapy
with tamoxifen puts patients at risk of preventable recurrences and
avoidable serious side effects. It took a long time for us to improve
upon tamoxifen, but with the mature data we have now for anastrozole,
we know we have a more effective and better tolerated treatment to
help our patients stay free from breast cancer."

References

1. Kaufman, B. Trastuzumab plus anastrozole prolongs
progression-free survival in postmenopausal women with HER2 positive,
hormone-dependent metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Abstract no. LBA2,
presented at the ESMO 2006, Istanbul, Turkey, 29th Sept - 3rd Oct
2006

2. Houghton, J on behalf of the ATAC Trialists' Group, Initial
adjuvant therapy with anastrozole (A) reduces rates of early breast
cancer recurrence and adverse events compared with tamoxifen (T).
Abstract no 243, presented at the ESMO 2006, Istanbul, Turkey, 29th
Sept - 3rd Oct 2006

3. Mansel, R on behalf of the ATAC Trialists' Group. Tolerability
of anastrozole (A) compared with tamoxifen (T): mature data in the
adjuvant setting Abstract no 244, presented at the ESMO 2006,
Istanbul, Turkey, 29th Sept - 3rd Oct 2006

Notes to Editors:

* About hormone-sensitivity and HER2-positivity:

- In hormone-sensitive (or hormone receptor-positive) breast
cancer, the tumour cells carry receptors on their surface which
respond to certain hormones and stimulate the growth of the tumour.
Approximately 60% of postmenopausal breast tumours are
hormone-sensitive.

- In HER2-positive breast cancer, the tumours have an increased
quantity of the HER2 protein on the surface of the cells. Tumours of
this type are particularly aggressive. HER2-positivity affects around
20-30% of women with breast cancer.

** ATAC: 'ARIMIDEX', Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged
in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of
prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services.
It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with
healthcare sales of $23.95 billion and leading positions in sales of
gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology
and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.

'ARIMIDEX' is a trademark, the properties of the AstraZeneca group
of companies.

For further information, please visit our websites
www.astrazenecapressoffice.com and www.BreastCancerSource.com

ots Originaltext: AstraZeneca
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Contact:Lynn Grant - AstraZeneca, Global PR Director - Oncology,
Direct Line: +44-1625-517-406, Email: Lynn.Grant@Astrazeneca.com.
Elly Brookes - Shire Health International, Direct Line:
+44-207-108-6533, Email: elly.brookes@shirehealthinternational.com


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