Preventive role recommended for tamoxifen and raloxifene in healthy women

Markus MacGill

pharmaphorum

Drugs such as tamoxifen may find a role in preventing breast cancer in otherwise healthy women who are at high risk of the disease.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has produced a draft recommendation on the basis of data suggesting a potential for reduced breast cancer incidence among high-risk women who take the drugs.

Wider preventive use has not been recommended, however, since the risk of side effects outweighs potential benefit in many health women.

“For postmenopausal women who are at increased risk for breast cancer, the USPSTF found adequate evidence that treatment with tamoxifen or raloxifene can significantly reduce the relative risk for invasive HR-positive breast cancer.”

“In addition to breast cancer risk reduction, the USPSTF found adequate evidence that tamoxifen or raloxifene reduce the risk of nonvertebral or vertebral fractures, respectively, in postmenopausal women.”

US Preventive Services Task Force draft recommendation.

The USPSTF is “is an independent panel of non-Federal experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine”. A public consultation on the USPSTF’s proposal is open until May 13.

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