( LONDON April 4 2007--Treatment data ...)Over 10,000 UK Breast Cancer Patients Could Become Eligible Within,the Next Year for a Breast Cancer Therapy Showing Increased,Survival Rates, Reveals Synovate Healthcare’s European,Oncology Monitor,Health

LONDON, April 4, 2007--Treatment data from Synovate Healthcare’s European Oncology Monitor reveals that over 10,000 breast cancer patients in the UK could become eligible for a breast cancer treatment showing lower death rates in patients. The treatment was the subject of a recent study detailed in the online edition of The Lancet (12 February 2007). Lower mortality rates were shown in patients who had switched to the aromotase inhibitor, Aromasin (exemestane), after 2-3 years of the current standard hormone drug therapy, tamoxifen. Aromasin was recently approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Patients who could be eligible in this new indication were defined as newly diagnosed women in early stage disease who test positive for markers indicating hormone therapy as a treatment option, as well as those who have been on tamoxifen for 3 years or less. According to Synovate Healthcare’s data, 80% of drug-treated patients diagnosed in early stages are hormone responsive. Types of hormone therapies include tamoxifen and three aromatase inhibitors recently approved by the NICE. About 13% of newly diagnosed early stage breast cancer patients receive tamoxifen therapy in the UK annually.

Cancer Research UK and Globocan statistics from the World Health Organisation suggest that over 40,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year. Synovate Healthcare data shows that over 23,000 newly diagnosed patients are treated with drug therapies. Using data on the number of newly diagnosed women in early stage disease, together with the number of existing patients on tamoxifen, Synovate Healthcare estimates that over 10,000 breast cancer patients in the UK could become eligible for this new treatment within the next year.

Leah Krukowski, Head of Synovate Healthcare’s European Oncology Monitor, commented, “It is encouraging to see how many peoples&
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