What is the NSABP (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project) B57 trial for a 66-year-old postmenopausal woman with hormone receptor-positive (ER 80% positive, PR 30% positive) breast cancer?

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NSABP B-57 Trial Information

Based on the available evidence, there is no NSABP B-57 trial documented in breast cancer literature. The evidence provided references multiple NSABP trials (B-13, B-14, B-33, B-35, B-42) but does not include any trial designated as B-57 1.

Documented NSABP Breast Cancer Trials

The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project has conducted several landmark trials for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, but B-57 is not among them:

NSABP B-33

  • Extended adjuvant exemestane trial comparing 5 years of exemestane versus placebo after completing 5 years of tamoxifen 2
  • Enrolled 1,598 postmenopausal patients with T1-3N1M0 breast cancer who were disease-free after 5 years of tamoxifen 2
  • Median follow-up of 30 months showed borderline statistically significant improvement in 4-year disease-free survival (91% vs 89%; RR = 0.68; P = .07) 2
  • Trial was terminated early due to NCIC MA.17 results showing benefit from extended letrozole therapy 2

NSABP B-35

  • Anastrozole versus tamoxifen for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in postmenopausal women undergoing lumpectomy plus radiotherapy 3
  • Enrolled 3,104 patients between 2003-2006, randomly assigned to tamoxifen 20 mg daily or anastrozole 1 mg daily for 5 years 3
  • Median follow-up of 9.0 years showed anastrozole provided significant improvement in breast cancer-free interval (HR 0.73,95% CI 0.56-0.96, p=0.0234) 3
  • Benefit was primarily in women younger than 60 years of age (significant treatment-by-age interaction, p=0.0379) 3

NSABP B-42

  • Extended letrozole therapy trial (also known as NRG Oncology/NSABP B-42) evaluating 5 additional years of letrozole versus placebo after completing 5 years of aromatase inhibitor-based therapy 4
  • Enrolled 3,966 postmenopausal patients with stage I-IIIA hormone receptor-positive breast cancer between 2006-2010 4
  • Ten-year results showed statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival (HR = 0.85,95% CI 0.74-0.96; P = .01; absolute difference = 3.3%) 4
  • No difference in overall survival (HR = 0.97,95% CI 0.82-1.15; P = .74) 4

NSABP B-13 and B-14

  • B-13: Evaluated methotrexate and fluorouracil in 737 women with ER-negative, node-negative tumors, showing 27% reduction in treatment failure through 5 years 5
  • B-14: Compared tamoxifen versus placebo in 2,844 patients with ER-positive, node-negative tumors, showing 36% reduction in treatment failure through 5 years 5

Clinical Context for the Patient Described

For a 66-year-old postmenopausal woman with hormone receptor-positive (ER 80%, PR 30%) breast cancer, the relevant evidence-based recommendations are:

  • Standard adjuvant endocrine therapy should be an aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane) for 5 years as initial therapy 6, 7, 8
  • Extended therapy up to 10 years total should be offered if node-positive disease is present 7, 8, 4
  • If aromatase inhibitor intolerance develops, switching to an alternative aromatase inhibitor is recommended before considering tamoxifen 6

References

Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

Guideline

Treatment Alternatives for Aromatase Inhibitor and CDK4/6 Inhibitor Intolerance in Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

Praxis Medical Insights: Practical Summaries of Clinical Guidelines, 2025

Guideline

Anastrozole Therapy Duration for Postmenopausal Women with Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

Praxis Medical Insights: Practical Summaries of Clinical Guidelines, 2025

Guideline

Anastrozole Treatment Duration for Postmenopausal Women with Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

Praxis Medical Insights: Practical Summaries of Clinical Guidelines, 2025

Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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