Two good choices to prevent breast cancer: great taste, less filling.
An important report in this issue of the journal by Vogel et al. (beginning on p. 696) discloses long-term follow-up data of the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) showing persisting strong effects of both drugs in preventing invasive and noninvasive breast cancer after drugs were stopped in 2006. In addition, safety improved with longer follow-up (median of 81 months versus 47 months for the initial report). For 12 years, the public has avoided Food and Drug Administration-approved tamoxifen or raloxifene for breast cancer risk reduction; it is time to reemphasize the great preventive benefit of these agents to the public.
Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. ghortoba@mdanderson.org
Gabriel N
GN
Hortobagyi
Powel H
PH
Brown
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D004967:Estrogens; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000517:prevention & control; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014599:Uterus / Q000473:pathology
D004967:Estrogens; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D013629:Tamoxifen; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride