Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39602456›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

Is tamoxifen good enough for the Asian population in ER+ HER2- post-menopausal women with early breast cancer? A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Chuan-Hsun Chang, Yi-Chan Lee, Chun-Wen Huang, You-Min Lu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Chuan-Hsun ChangDepartment of Surgery, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Yi-Chan LeeInstitute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Chun-Wen HuangOffice of the Superintendent, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
You-Min LuDivision of Clinical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.ORCID 0000-0001-7739-4050

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNumerous clinical trials have compared the efficacy of endocrine therapy in post-menopausal breast cancer patients. This study aims to explore whether there is a difference in recurrence rates between this population using tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) by analyzing real-world data.

methodsThis retrospective cohort study utilized the National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data and the Taiwan Cancer Registry (TCR). We identified 6,050 patients aged over 55 diagnosed with ER-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer between 2012 and 2016 (4,451 on AIs alone and 1,599 on tamoxifen alone). Recurrence in both groups was assessed until the end of 2020. Hazards were measured based on age of diagnosis, cancer stage, adjuvant chemotherapy, radiation therapy, type of endocrine therapy used, and adherence. Recurrence‑free survival between the AIs and tamoxifen groups was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier model.

resultsThe average age was 65.1 years, with a median follow-up time of 5.7 years and a median duration of endocrine therapy of 4.5 years. The recurrence rate was 2.2%. Using tamoxifen as endocrine therapy reduces the risk of recurrence compared to AIs (adjusted HR: 0.32, p < 0.0001). There was no statistical difference between the two drugs in stage 1 breast cancer. However, in stage 2, the risk of breast cancer recurrence decreased to 0.15 times with the use of tamoxifen compared to AIs (p = 0.0002). Stage 2 cancer, histological grade 3, and non-adherence increased recurrence risk in post-menopausal breast cancer patients.

conclusionBased on real-world data analysis, in ER-positive, HER2-negative post-menopausal women with early breast cancer in Taiwan, the use of tamoxifen compared to AIs is associated with a lower risk of recurrence. Improved adherence to medication can break the cycle of recurrence and improve health outcomes.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Agents, HormonalBreast NeoplasmsErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesPostmenopauseReceptors, EstrogenTamoxifenAgedAromatase InhibitorsAsian PeopleCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMiddle AgedNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalRetrospective StudiesTaiwanAntineoplastic Agents, HormonalAromatase InhibitorsERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesReceptors, EstrogenTamoxifen

Identifiers

PMID39602456
PMCPMC11602078

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.