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Drug that Prevents Breast Cancer

Health & Fitness - Monday, June 17, 2019 11:50:22 AM

A drug now used to prevent recurrences of breast cancer can also reduce the risk of it occurring in the first place, providing a new option for women at high risk of getting the disease, researchers reported.

Two drugs, tamoxifen and raloxifene, are already approved to prevent breast cancer but both are rarely used for that purpose, in part because they can have serious side effects like blood clots. The researchers said the new option , exemestane, does not have those side effects and might be more acceptable.

Exemestane, also known by the brand name Aromasin, is one of a class of compounds known as aromatase inhibitors. These drugs stop the production of estrogen, which fuels tumour growth. They have proven superior to tamoxifen in preventing recurrence of cancer after a breast tumor is removed . So researchers have long suspected that aromatase inhibitors would also reduce the risk of an initial occurrence of breast cancer.

The trial involved 4,560 postmenopausal women in the US, Canada, France and Spain who were considered to be at a higher than normal risk of developing breast cancer either because of being over at least 60 or other factors.

After a follow-up of about three years, 11 women getting the drug had developed invasive breast cancer compared with 32 of the women receiving a placebo. That is a reduction in risk of 65%.

The study was published online by the New England Journal of Medicine. NYT NEWS SERVICE

Source- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Drug-that-prevents-breast-cancer/articleshow/8756123.cms

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