An Examination of Predictors of Indicators of Response to Letrozole 2.5 mg

Quantitative Real Time PCR in Cytolytic Formalin Fixed Breast Cells Obtained by Periareolar Fine Needle Aspiration. An Ancillary Protocol to a Chemoprevention Trial of Letrozole

To assess the quantitative real time PCR results of oligonucleotide probes for a number of gene transcription products that may be useful as predictors or indicators of response to letrozole

To assess the quantitative real time PCR results of oligonucleotide probes for a number of gene transcription products (PCNA, cyclin-D1, ER alpha, PR, pS2, 450 aromatase, bcl-2, bax, caspase-3, and VEGFR) that may be useful as predictors or indicators of response to letrozole

Inclusion Criteria:

• evidence of hyperplasia with/without atypia upon random periareolar fine needle aspiration of breast
• on hormone replacement therapy
• postmenopausal
• increased risk of developing breast cancer based on personal or family history
• never have taken aromatase inhibitors or selective estrogen receptor modulators in last six months
• women who have a high risk of breast cancer
• older than 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• no anticoagulants
• no marked breast tenderness
• not pregnant or within twelve months of breast feeding/childbirth