Administering cholesterol-lowering medication during adjuvant endocrine therapy may help prevent breast cancer recurrence in women with HR+ early-stage disease, according to a randomized, phase 3, double-blind study involving more than 8,000 individuals.

Participants received one of the following regimens: letrozole monotherapy, sequential tamoxifen-letrozole, letrozole-tamoxifen, or tamoxifen monotherapy. Investigators measured cholesterol levels and tracked use of cholesterol medications every 6 months for up to 5.5 years. They looked at the link between initiation of medication during therapy and disease-free survival, breast cancer–free interval, and distant recurrence–free interval. Among the results:

• Of 789 patients who initiated cholesterol medication during therapy, 318 were in the letrozole monotherapy group; 189 were taking sequential tamoxifen-letrozole, 176 letrozole-tamoxifen, and 106 tamoxifen monotherapy.
• Disease-free survival odds improved by 21% in those who initiated cholesterol medication.
• Breast cancer–free and distant recurrence–free interval odds improved by 24% and 26%, respectively.