Analysis of Ki-67 expression with neoadjuvant anastrozole or tamoxifen in patients receiving goserelin for premenopausal breast cancer

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Goserelin in this randomized controlled trial publication.

In the current study, the authors explored correlations between Ki-67 expression and tumor response, estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PgR) status, and histopathologic response from the STAGE study (S_tudy of T_amoxifen or A_rimidex, combined with G_oserelin acetate to compare E_fficacy and safety).

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults and middle-aged adults, women only.

In a phase 3, double-blind, randomized trial (National Clinical Trials identifier NCT00605267), premenopausal women with ER-positive, early stage breast cancer received either anastrozole plus goserelin or tamoxifen plus goserelin for 24 weeks before surgery.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized and double-blind study.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Goserelin group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Goserelin, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The methods mention a period of 24 weeks.

The Ki-67 index, hormone receptor (ER and PgR) status, and histopathologic responses were determined from histopathologic samples that were obtained from core-needle biopsies at baseline and at surgery.

Tumor response was determined by using magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Anastrozole, Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols, Breast Neoplasms, Goserelin, Ki-67 Antigen and Neoadjuvant Therapy.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and double-blind study of Goserelin over 24 weeks.

Results are reported in around 5 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2013 (Cancer), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Goserelin compound page, all human trials.