James N. Ingle, MD

Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy in the Western world. Two-thirds of all breast cancers are estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, a phenotypic characteristic that is prognostic of disease-free survival and predictive of response to endocrine therapy.

The aromatase inhibitors represent an important class of hormonal agents for the management of breast cancer. The third-generation aromatase inhibitors have replaced megestrol acetate as second-line hormonal