Short-term and low-dose prednisolone administration reduces aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia in patients with breast cancer

Anticancer Res. 2012 Jun;32(6):2331-6.

Abstract

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are important therapeutic drugs for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. However, adverse effects of AIs such as arthralgia have been extensively reported. We performed a joint prospective, multi-institutional investigation to find out whether a low-dose and short-term prednisolone is effective against AI-induced arthralgia in 27 patients with breast cancer. Patients were administered 5 mg of oral prednisolone once a day in the morning for only one week. Patients were then asked to answer a questionnaire about joint pain symptoms at one week, one month and two months after the beginning of prednisolone use. Joint pain symptoms improved in 67% of patients immediately after prednisolone use, with 63% still reporting analgesic effect at one month, and 52% at two months after beginning internal use of prednisolone. At one week, one month and two months after the use of prednisolone, 30%, 30% and 26% of patients reported improved daily life, respectively. Our results suggest that prednisolone could substitute non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetoaminophen or cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors in patients with AI-induced arthralgia.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anastrozole
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Aromatase Inhibitors / adverse effects*
  • Arthralgia / chemically induced*
  • Arthralgia / prevention & control*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Letrozole
  • Middle Aged
  • Nitriles / adverse effects
  • Prednisolone / therapeutic use*
  • Triazoles / adverse effects

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Aromatase Inhibitors
  • Nitriles
  • Triazoles
  • Anastrozole
  • Letrozole
  • Prednisolone