Aromatase inhibitors and contralateral breast cancer in BRCA mutation carriers

Deleterious BRCA mutations confer a significant lifetime risk of breast cancer (BC) as wel as contralateral BC (CBC) in patients who do not undergo prophylactic mastectomy. Prior reports had suggested that tamoxifen reduces the risk of CBC in BRCA mutation carriers. Whether aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have the same effect is unknown. A retrospective review of patients of MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX) found that AIs reduce the risk of CBC in BRCA mutation carriers. The authors conclude that the potential role of AIs as chemoprevention should be validated in larger independent cohort.