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Q: I heard the drug, Evista may reduce the risk for breast cancer—is that true? Who can benefit from this medication?
Ask Our Expert About Evista
Q:
I heard the drug, Evista may reduce the risk for breast cancer—is that true? Who can benefit from this medication?
A: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Evista
(the brand name for raloxifene previously used to treat osteoporosis) to help
prevent breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at high-risk for the
disease. If you think you’re at increased risk for breast cancer, you should
talk with your doctor about whether or not this medication—if any—is right for
you.
Q: Who is considered at high risk?
A: Risk
factors for women at high risk include those who are age 50 or over, have a
family history of breast or ovarian cancer on mother’s or father’s side
(especially first-degree relatives like mother, sister or daughter), previous
breast biopsies (especially if the biopsy revealed any precancerous changes)
and certain reproductive factors such as menstruation before age 12 or
menopause after age 55, and no children or first child after age 30. Additional
risk factors may include several years of hormone replacement therapy
(especially combined estrogen/progesterone), alcohol use (risk rises with daily
amount consumed), obesity, high-fat diet and lack of exercise (especially after
menopause).
Q: Is Evista as effective as tamoxifen in reducing breast cancer risk?
A: Results
from the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene,
or STAR, which included participation of 19,000 postmenopausal women who are at
increased risk for breast cancer, showed that raloxifene was just as effective
as tamoxifen in reducing the number of invasive breast cancers. Even better,
raloxifene didn’t appear to cause as many serious side effects, such as uterine
cancer or blood clots. And for women with osteopenia or osteoporosis, Evista
also will help to improve bone density.
This page last updated 7/10/08 04:23 PM
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Q: I smoke. Am I at risk for breast cancer?
