An influential panel of experts, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, this week recommended that some healthy women at high risk of developing breast cancer take one of two drugs (tamoxifen or raloxifene) in an attempt to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
This advice (which would fall under the definition of chemoprevention) is not new, but coming from such an influential panel, takes on new significance.
This advice is is complicated by at least two factors: first, the definition of high risk is fuzzy. Some say that a high risk factor for breast cancer is the diagnosis of breast cancer in a close female relative, like a mother or sister; others might include the definition to include a history of personal breast biopsies or even alcohol and body mass index. Second, it is well known that both tamoxifen and raloxifene can have some serious medical side effects, like blood clots and an increased risk of stroke.
Many healthy women understandably are rejectioning these medications, asking why they should take pills to lower the odds of a disease they may not get anyway.
So what’s a healthy woman to do? asks ACSH President Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. The answer is to consult with your health provider who can help you weigh your own benefits and risks.
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