Statement: Patients who received over 5 years of anastrozole therapy, completed under a year ago, are eligible for the primary trial.
Primary_evidence: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:   Previously diagnosed with primary breast cancer   Must have received 4½ - 6 years of aromatase inhibitor therapy (e.g., letrozole, anastrozole, or exemestane), either as initial therapy or after prior tamoxifen citrate, including treatment received as part of clinical trial CAN-NCIC-MA17   Completed aromatase inhibitor therapy  2 years ago   No metastatic or recurrent disease, contralateral breast cancer, or ductal carcinoma in situ in either breast, as determined by the following:   Clinical examination of the breast area, axillae, and neck within the past 60 days   Mammogram within the past 12 months*   Chest x-ray within the past 60 days   Bone scan, if alkaline phosphatase > 2 times normal and/or there are symptoms of metastatic disease AND confirmatory x-ray, if bone scan results are questionable, within the past 60 days   Abdominal ultrasound, liver scan, or CT scan of the abdomen within the past 60 days, if ALT, AST, or alkaline phosphatase > 2 times normal NOTE: *A baseline mammogram is not required for patients who have undergone bilateral complete mastectomy   Hormone-receptor status:   Estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and/or progesterone receptor positive (PR+) primary tumor at the time of diagnosis, defined as a tumor receptor content of > 10 fmol/mg protein or receptor positive by immunocytochemical assay (for patients not previously enrolled on clinical trial CAN-NCIC-MA17)   ER+ and/or PR+ primary tumor OR hormone receptor status of primary tumor unknown (for patients previously enrolled on clinical trial CAN-NCIC-MA17)   PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:   Menopausal status not specified   ECOG performance status 0-2   Life expectancy  5 years   WBC > 3.0 x 10^9/L OR granulocyte count (polymorphs + bands)  1.5 times 10^9/L   Platelet count > 100 x 10^9/L   AST and/or ALT < 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)*   Alkaline phosphatase < 2 times ULN*   Able (i.e. sufficiently fluent) and willing to complete quality-of-life questionnaires in either English or French (NCIC CTG participating centers)   Inability to complete questionnaires due to illiteracy in English or French, loss of sight, or other equivalent reason allowed   Accessible for treatment and follow-up   No other prior or concurrent malignancy except adequately treated, superficial squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or other cancer treated > 5 years ago that is presumed cured NOTE: *Elevated levels allowed provided imaging examinations have ruled out metastatic disease   PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:   See Disease Characteristics   No concurrent selective estrogen receptor modulator (e.g., raloxifene, idoxifene)   No other concurrent anticancer therapy