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Chemoprevention
Chemoprevention (not to be confused with chemotherapy) includes
administering nontoxic agents to otherwise healthy individuals
in order to reduce their risk of developing cancer. In many
women at a high risk for breast cancer, antiestrogens (estrogen
blockers) Tamoxifen and Raloxifene, have proven effective
in reducing the risk of breast cancer.
Tamoxifen
Tamoxifen (trade name Nolvadex®) was proven in a 5 year
Breast Cancer Prevention Trial to reduce breast cancer incidence
by 49 percent in women at increased risk of the disease. However,
the drug increased the women’s chances of developing
endometrial cancer, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism,
and stroke. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved
the use of tamoxifen to reduce the incidence of breast cancer
in women at increased risk of the disease in October 1998.
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Chemoprevention cont'd
Raloxifene
Raloxifene (trade name Evista®) was shown to reduce
the incidence of breast cancer in a large study of its
use to prevent and treat osteoporosis. This drug was
approved by the FDA to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal
women in December 1997 and has been under study for
about five years." ref
The "STAR" trial
The"STAR" trial is a 5 year comparative study
of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene in post-menopausal women
at high risk for breast cancer.This study aims to recruit
22,000 women at more than 400 centers across the United
States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
For more information about the STAR trial, visit the
NSABP website: http://www.nsabp.pitt.edu/STAR/Index.html
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