Regression of choroidal metastases from breast carcinoma using aromatase inhibitors
- Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Correspondence to: Dr Maria Manquez Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; memanquezhotmail.com
- Accepted 31 October 2004
Breast cancer has become a leading health concern in the United States, accounting for 30% of all cancers among women.1 Oestrogen is an important hormone involved in the development and growth of breast tumours.2 It has been found that 60–70% of breast cancers have oestrogen receptors.2 Following tumour resection, receptor positive patients are commonly treated with hormone therapy such as tamoxifen. Tamoxifen is a competitive antagonist of oestrogen at its receptor site. It is most often used for postmenopausal patients with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancers. However, tamoxifen also has a partial oestrogen agonist effect which could be detrimental, because it can lead to increased risk for uterine cancer, thromboembolism, and treatment failure.3
The third generation aromatase inhibitors, including anostrozole, letrozole, and vorozole, have emerged as a new treatment for postmenopausal women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Their mechanism differs from that of tamoxifen as they minimise peripheral conversion of circulating androgen to oestrogen.3 We report one patient with choroidal metastasis …
