Drug that can prevent cancer
Tens of thousands of healthy women could slash the risk of getting breast cancer by taking a drug to prevent it, it was revealed yesterday.
Researchers have found that Tamoxifen, currently used to treat breast cancer, could cut the chances of women developing the disease by almost two thirds.
Of around 300,000 British women classified as at high risk – mainly those who have a family history of the disease – almost half could benefit from taking the drug as a preventative measure, a study by Cancer Research UK suggests.
Of the 7,000 women studied, the hormone drug was effective in 46 per cent of cases, cutting their chance of developing cancer by up to 63 per cent.
Tamoxifen has been widely used for more than 20 years and has been credited with saving the lives of around a million breast cancer sufferers. It is relatively cheap and dangerous side-effects are very rare.
We know that increased breast density is one of the leading risk factors for breast cancer and where Tamoxifen is shown to decrease the density, the risk of cancer decreases
The latest research could offer hope to some 138,000 women who live with the daily threat of developing the disease. The study, part of a trial which is still going on, showed Tamoxifen reduces the density of breast tissue. Earlier studies have linked dense tissue with an increased risk of cancer.
Professor Jack Cuzick, Cancer Research UK epidemiologist, said: “We know that increased breast density is one of the leading risk factors for breast cancer and where Tamoxifen is shown to decrease the density, the risk of cancer decreases.”
Professor Cuzick, who presented the results of the research at a conference in Texas, said: “It is important to find a way to predict who will respond to Tamoxifen, and changes in breast density appear to be an early indicator of benefit for its use in prevention.
“Further research is needed to see if these results also apply to the use of Tamoxifen for treating breast cancer.”
Dr Justin Stebbing, of Imperial College London, said: “This is interesting and important research and adds weight to the thinking that maybe we can use Tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer in women at a high risk.”
But he added: “The evidence to suggest that Tamoxifen should be used as a breast cancer prevention is still not conclusive and further study is needed.”
Every year almost 45,000 women in Britain are diagnosed with breast cancer, and around a third die from the disease.
