ADJUVANT TAMOXIFEN FOR PREMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH ESTROGEN-RECEPTOR POSITIVE, NODE-POSITIVE BREAST-CANCER - A RANDOMIZED STUDY

370 patients with operable, axillary node positive breast cancer, were randomized to receive tamoxifen (TAM) 20 mg/day for 2 years or no adj uvant hormone therapy. All patients had estrogen receptor (ER) positiv e (ER > 10 pmol/g) primary tumours. 350 patients, 93 younger than 50 y ears of age and 257 patients 50 years or older, were evaluable for the study. After a median follow up of 76 months, significantly (p = 0.00 01) fewer loco-regional, but not distant (systemic), relapses have bee n recorded in the TAM group. Overall survival was also improved, but e ven though the study was designed to give maximum benefit from TAM sta tistically significant effect of TAM seemed to be limited to patients 50 years of age and older.