Some women at a high risk for breast cancer may reduce their chance of developing invasive breast cancer with the use of the medication called tamoxifen. Chemoprevention is the use of a medication to reduce cancer, and it may be considered in a patient who is at high risk of developing breast cancer.
In a high risk population, the risk reduction with the use of tamoxifen has been reported to be 49%, and this has resulted in the FDA approving tamoxifen as the first drug for breast cancer prevention. In addition, studies have also found that another medication, called raloxifene, to be of benefit in menopausal women. Of course there can be serious side effects with these medications, so their use may be limited.
If you are at a high risk of developing breast cancer, start a discussion with your medical team about the possible use of chemoprophylaxis!
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-Dr. P
Read more about tamoxifen in my post: How Does Tamoxifen Treat Breast Cancer?
