Joint Symptoms in Women Taking Aromatase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer

Increasingly, women with early-stage breast cancer receive aromatase inhibitors (i.e., anastrozole [Arimidex], letrozole [Femara], or exemestane [Aromasin]) instead of tamoxifen, or following tamoxifen therapy. Experienced clinicians have observed that many of these patients develop joint symptoms. To estimate the prevalence of this problem, researchers at Columbia University surveyed 200 consecutive women with breast cancer (stage I, II, or III) who had taken an aromatase inhibitor for at least 3 months.

Overall, 47% of patients reported joint pain that they perceived to be related to their aromatase inhibitor: Half reported new-onset joint pain, and half reported worsening of previous joint pain. Most of these patients also described joint…