Anastrozole in Preventing Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women at Increased Risk of Breast Cancer (IBIS II)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00078832 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : March 9, 2004
Last Update Posted : October 6, 2021
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RATIONALE: Chemoprevention therapy is the use of certain drugs to try to prevent the development of cancer. Anastrozole may be effective in preventing breast cancer.
PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying how well anastrozole works in preventing breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at increased risk for the disease.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Breast Cancer | Drug: anastrozole Drug: placebo | Phase 3 |
OBJECTIVES:
Primary
- Determine the effectiveness of anastrozole in preventing breast cancer in postmenopausal women at increased risk for the disease.
Secondary
- Determine the role of this drug in preventing estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in these participants.
- Determine the effect of this drug on breast cancer mortality in these participants.
- Determine the effect of this drug on other cancers, cardiovascular disease, fracture rates, and non-breast cancer deaths in these participants.
- Determine the tolerability and acceptability of side effects of this drug in these participants.
OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Participants are stratified according to participating center. Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.
- Arm I: Participants receive oral anastrozole daily for 5 years.
- Arm II: Participants receive an oral placebo daily for 5 years. In both arms, treatment continues in the absence of the development of breast cancer (including ductal carcinoma in situ), a drop in the T-score below minus 4, or the occurrence of a new fragility fracture.
Participants are followed for at least a further 5 years.
Peer Reviewed and Funded or Endorsed by Cancer Research UK
ACCRUAL: A total of 3,864 participants were recruited for this study over 10 years.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 3864 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | International Breast Cancer Intervention Study |
Study Start Date : | September 2003 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | December 2013 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | May 31, 2021 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: anastrozole
anastrozole 1mg
|
Drug: anastrozole
aromatase inhibitor
Other Name: Arimidex |
Placebo Comparator: placebo
anastrozole 1mg PLACEBO
|
Drug: placebo
Arimidex placebo |
- Development of histologically confirmed breast cancer, both invasive and non-invasive with median follow-up at 5 years [ Time Frame: Dec 2013 ]
- Breast cancer mortality with median follow-up at 10 years [ Time Frame: Dec 2018 ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 40 Years to 70 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | Female |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
-
Meets at least 1 of the relative risk factors based on age as follows:
-
45 to 70 years of age:
- First-degree relative who developed breast cancer at ≤ 50 years of age
- First-degree relative who developed bilateral breast cancer
-
Two or more first- or second-degree relatives who developed breast cancer or ovarian cancer
- Participants having both relatives who are second degree and on the opposite sides of the family must have at least one that was diagnosed at ≤ 50 years of age
- Nulliparous (or first birth at ≥ 30 years of age) and a first-degree relative who developed breast cancer
- Benign biopsy with proliferative disease and a first-degree relative who developed breast cancer
- Mammographic opacity covering at least 50% of the breast in the absence of hormone replacement therapy within the past 3 months
-
60 to 70 years of age:
- First-degree relative with breast cancer at any age
- Age at menopause ≥ 55 years
- Nulliparous or age at first birth ≥ 30 years
-
40 to 44 years of age:
- Two or more first- or second-degree relatives who developed breast cancer or ovarian cancer at ≤ 50 years of age
- First-degree relative with bilateral breast cancer who developed the first breast cancer at ≤ 50 years of age
- Nulliparous (or first birth at ≥ 30 years of age) and a first-degree relative who developed breast cancer at ≤ 40 years of age
- Benign biopsy with proliferative disease and a first-degree relative who developed breast cancer at ≤ 40 years of age
-
-
All age groups (40 to 70 ears of age) with a 10-year risk > 5% who do not fit into the above categories are allowed
- Clearly apparent family history AND/OR other risk factors indicating appropriate increased risk of breast cancer for age
-
The following prior breast conditions are allowed (for all age groups):
- Lobular carcinoma in situ
- Atypical ductal or lobular hyperplasia in a benign lesion
- Ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), diagnosed within the past 6 months, and treated by mastectomy
- No evidence of breast cancer on mammogram within the past year
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Hormone receptor status:
-
For patients with prior DCIS, estrogen- or progesterone-receptor status must have been positive
- Must have had greater than or equal to 5% positive cells
-
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
Age
- 40 to 70
Sex
- Female
Menopausal status
-
Postmenopausal, defined as at least 1 of the following:
- Over 60 years of age
- Bilateral oophorectomy
- ≤ 60 years of age with a uterus and amenorrhea for at least 12 months
- ≤ 60 years of age without a uterus and with follicle-stimulating hormone levels > 30 IU/L
Performance status
- Not specified
Life expectancy
- At least 10 years
Hematopoietic
- Not specified
Hepatic
- Not specified
Renal
- Not specified
Other
- Psychologically and physically suitable to receive 5 years of anti-estrogen therapy
- No cancer within the past 5 years except non-melanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
-
No evidence of osteoporosis or fragility fractures within the spine
- Participants with a T-score > minus 4 and no more than 2 fragility fractures are allowed
- No concurrent severe disease that would place the participant at unusual risk or confound the results of the study
- No other medical condition that would preclude the ability to receive the study treatment
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
Biologic therapy
- Not specified
Chemotherapy
- Not specified
Endocrine therapy
- No prior tamoxifen, raloxifene, or other selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) use for more than 6 months in duration unless an IBIS-I participant (must have been off trial therapy for at least 5 years.
- No concurrent tamoxifen, raloxifene, or other SERM
- No concurrent estrogen-based hormone replacement therapy
- No concurrent systemic estrogen replacement therapy, including vaginal estrogen preparations
Radiotherapy
- Not specified
Surgery
- See Disease Characteristics
- No prior prophylactic mastectomy
- No concurrent prophylactic mastectomy
Other
- More than 6 months since prior investigational drugs

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00078832

Study Chair: | Jack Cuzick, PhD | Queen Mary University of London | |
Study Chair: | Anthony Howell | University of Manchester |
Publications:
Responsible Party: | Queen Mary University of London |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00078832 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
ISRCTN31488319 EU-20227 EUDRACT-2004-003991-12 |
First Posted: | March 9, 2004 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | October 6, 2021 |
Last Verified: | April 2018 |
breast cancer, chemoprevention |
Breast Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Breast Diseases Skin Diseases Anastrozole Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal Antineoplastic Agents |
Aromatase Inhibitors Steroid Synthesis Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Estrogen Antagonists Hormone Antagonists Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists Physiological Effects of Drugs |