I have a question about AIs...

Selizabeth12

This is a question my mom and I have been wondering and are going to mention to her oncologist, but I just wanted to see what everyone on here has to add (: there have been a few things I have learned from here, brought to my moms oncologists attention, and he approved it to be started after she completes chemo (zometa for example)

Anyways.. My question: is there any benefit from switching between AIs every year or so? Or do they all work the exact same? I only ask because I know that bodies can build a resistance to any medication, so I'm wondering if switching between the three AI varieties if this will minimize the chance of her body becoming resistant.

Right now she is set to start Femara in about 3 months.

Thank you in advance to anyone who gives their opinion/experience (:

voraciousreader

http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/11/...

The last paragraph of the above study states there have been no clinical studies comparing the efficacy of the AIs to one another. That said, there are patients who do switch AIs due to side effects, however, there appears to be no studies done measuring their outcomes.

I expect in the next decade genetic testing will be able to tell us which drugs are more suitable than others for individuals. Regarding building up a resistance to a drug? I think that kind of study would be hard to do today because, to my knowledge, we would have no way of predicting and identifying how one builds up an intolerance.

voraciousreader

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24187963

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24297540

The above studies gives you an idea of how far away we are from identifying drug resistance with respect to cancer cells....

voraciousreader

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24242068

Here is a study specifically involving AIs!