PAEA Surgery End Of Rotation (EOR) Practice Exam

Which hormone therapy is known to decrease recurrence and contralateral breast cancer by 40% for estrogen-positive tumors?

1. Raloxifene

2. Letrozole

3. Tamoxifen

4. Anastrozole

The correct answer is: Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that is particularly effective in the treatment and prevention of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Its mechanism involves blocking estrogen from binding to receptors in breast tissues, which slows or stops the growth of cancers that require estrogen to grow. In postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive tumors, studies have shown that Tamoxifen can reduce the risk of recurrence by about 40%. It also significantly lowers the risk of developing contralateral breast cancer in those previously diagnosed with estrogen-positive tumors. This preventive effect is critical as it helps manage not just the immediate cancer but also the risk of developing a new cancer in the opposite breast. While letrozole and anastrozole are aromatase inhibitors that also reduce estrogen levels in the body and are effective in postmenopausal women, they don't typically demonstrate the same level of benefit in reducing contralateral breast cancer specifically as Tamoxifen does. Raloxifene, although a SERM like Tamoxifen, has a slightly different role primarily in osteoporosis management and does not show the same magnitude of recurrence reduction in breast cancer specifically. Thus, Tamoxifen stands out for its substantial role in decreasing recurrence and contralateral breast