[Clinical benefit of antiestrogens for breast cancer]

Tamoxifen has significantly improved mortality of both pre- and postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated benefits of aromatase inhibitor therapy in adjuvant regimens for postmenopausal women. Tamoxifen is now expected to demonstrate potential benefits for bone health during endocrine treatment such as switching therapy with aromatase inhibitors because aromatase inhibitors are associated with a reduction in bone mineral density. In premenopausal women, although tamoxifen remains the standard of care, combination treatment of tamoxifen and an LH-RH agonist is recommended.