Drugs of today
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Recent trials have indicated that the aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole, letrozole, exemestane) are more effective than tamoxifen, the standard adjuvant treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, both in adjuvant and first-line advanced settings. This paper reviews the mode of action and the main clinical trials done with anastrozole, the only aromatase inhibitor currently licensed for use in the adjuvant setting in estrogen receptor-positive tumors. ⋯ As a second-line treatment in tamoxifen failures, anastrozole has shown a better survival rate and a better side-effect profile than megestrol acetate. Similarly, the use of anastrozole in the adjuvant setting has shown a significantly prolonged disease-free survival time and improved tolerability compared to tamoxifen in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.
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Several reports presented at the 25th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine held March 21-25 in Brussels, Belgium, have demonstrated the efficacy of using the prohormone procalcitonin (PCT) as a biomarker for severe sepsis. This article reviews some of the most exciting studies.