Pilot Observational Study Examining the Effect of Endocrine Therapy on Aging (BETA)

March 3, 2026 updated by: N. Lynn Henry, University of Michigan

An Observational Study of Women With Breast Cancer Examining the Effect of Endocrine Therapy on Aging

The goal of this pilot observational study is to learn about the feasibility of collecting patient-reported data and stool and blood samples from patients age 65 and older treated with aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer. Participants will be treated with standard of care aromatase inhibitor therapy and will undergo serial phlebotomy, complete patient-reported questionnaires, and submit serial stool samples.

The main exploratory translational questions it aims to obtain preliminary data for are:

  • What are the effects of aromatase inhibitor therapy on biomarkers of aging?
  • What are the effects of aromatase inhibitor therapy on the microbiome? These data will be used for the development of future definitive studies.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
94

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Michigan
      • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
        • University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with breast cancer or who are at high risk for breast cancer who are starting treatment with aromatase inhibitor therapy as standard of care for treating breast cancer or for chemoprevention will be eligible. In addition, women age 65 and older with breast cancer or at high risk for developing breast cancer who are not going to receive treatment with endocrine therapy are eligible for the control cohort.

Description

Inclusion Criteria

  • Female gender.
  • Cohort 1: Age 65 or greater. Cohort 2: Age younger than 65 years
  • Cohort 1 Participants (starting AI therapy): Histologically proven stage 0-III carcinoma of the breast or at high risk for development of breast cancer who are planning to undergo treatment with neoadjuvant or adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy (anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane).
  • Cohort 1 Controls (no endocrine therapy): Histologically proven stage 0-III carcinoma of the breast or high risk for development of breast cancer and who are not planning to undergo treatment with any endocrine therapy (AI or tamoxifen).
  • Participants Cohort 2 (starting AI therapy): Histologically proven stage 0-III carcinoma of the breast or at high risk for development of breast cancer who are planning to undergo treatment with neoadjuvant or adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy (anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane).
  • Concurrent treatment with GnRHa therapy, radiation therapy, CDK4/6 inhibitor, bisphosphonate, PARP inhibitor, and/or anti-HER2 therapy is permitted. Prior tamoxifen is permitted.
  • The patient is aware of the nature of her diagnosis, understands the study requirements, risks, and discomforts, and is able and willing to sign an informed consent form.
  • Able to read and understand English.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Distant metastatic disease
  • Prior aromatase inhibitor therapy except in the context of fertility treatment.
  • Use of exogenous estrogen supplementation other than vaginal estrogen preparations.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Age 65+, AI therapy
Postmenopausal women age 65 and older who are starting treatment with standard of care aromatase inhibitor therapy
Drug: Aromatase inhibitor
Standard of care anastrozole, exemestane, or letrozole
Age 65+, no endocrine therapy
Postmenopausal women age 65 and older who are not starting treatment with any endocrine therapy
Age under 65, AI therapy
Postmenopausal women age less than 65 who are starting treatment with standard of care aromatase inhibitor therapy
Drug: Aromatase inhibitor
Standard of care anastrozole, exemestane, or letrozole

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percentage of particpants in the 65+ AI therapy group who complete 3 serial blood collections and 5 serial ePRO collections
Time Frame: 1 year
To assess feasibility of enrolling patients 65 and older in a study that collects serial blood samples and electronic patient-reported outcomes
1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percentage of participants who submit at least 2 out of 3 requested serial stool samples
Time Frame: 12 weeks
To assess feasibility of enrolling patients with breast cancer in a study that collects serial stool samples
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Michigan

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Norah L Henry, MD, PhD, University of Michigan

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 25, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 26, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 26, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 17, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 17, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 26, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 3, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HUM00208684
  • UMCC 2021.129 (Other Identifier: Rogel Cancer Center)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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