Breast cancer trial has 2,000 recruits
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.DOCTORS should know within five years if they can prevent breast cancer in women who are at high risk of the disease by giving them the drug tamoxifen, a leading specialist said yesterday.
A clinical trial - the first to use a drug as a preventive treatment for the disease - has recruited 2,000 women, according to Dr Trevor Powles, of the breast unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London.
Less than 1 per cent of women on tamoxifen have had to stop because of side-effects and between 75 and 80 per cent of the women initially recruited are still in the trial, which began in 1986. Half are taking tamoxifen and half a placebo drug.
Eleven breast cancers have been diagnosed in the group, which 'was very much lower than expected', Dr Powles said. It is not known if these women were taking tamoxifen or the placebo.
The use of tamoxifen in breast cancer prevention is controversial because it involves giving healthy women a powerful hormonal-type drug. Some scientists believe that up to 50 per cent of breast cancers in women who have a family history of the disease could be prevented by giving them tamoxifen.
But a study involving 15,000 women due to start last year is still under consideration by the Department of Health. Animal studies have suggested a link with liver cancer and more serious side-effects.
Dr Powles said that side-effects of the drug - such as nausea and headache - are no more than for a placebo drug, but among women on tamoxifen about 15 per cent also suffered hot flushes, 10 per cent had period irregularities and 5 per cent had a vaginal discharge.
The drug also lowers cholesterol and may prevent bone loss in older women, he said. 'Even if there was no effect on breast cancer, (tamoxifen) probably would have benefits rather than risks,' he told trial participants in London yesterday.
Trial results are expected in 1998.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments