Chemotherapy or Letrozole Before Surgery in Treating Postmenopausal Women With Breast Cancer That Can Be Removed By Surgery
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2011-03-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor
cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Estrogen can stimulate
the growth of breast cancer cells. Hormone therapy using letrozole may fight breast cancer by
reducing the production of estrogen. It is not yet known whether giving more than one drug
(combination chemotherapy) or giving letrozole before surgery is more effective in treating
women with breast cancer.
PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying giving combination chemotherapy before
surgery to see how well it works compared with letrozole given before surgery in treating
postmenopausal women with breast cancer that can be removed by surgery.