Chemoprevention refers to the use of medication, vitamins, or minerals, or a combination of these, to prevent cancer. It is now being considered as a way of reducing the risk of breast cancer, especially among women who run a high risk of developing the disease.
Some studies have found, for instance, that the drug Tamoxifen, an antiestrogen that is usually taken to treat breast cancer, may be able to prevent it as well. One study involving women with high risk of developing breast cancer showed a 50% reduction of invasive breast cancer among those patients who took the drug.
Not all studies, however, have produced similarly favorable results. Moreover, taking Tamoxifen can lead serious side effects, making it unsuitable as a prevention option for women with average or low risk.
The long-term use of Tamoxifen, for instance, could cause resistance from the body’s hormones. When this happens, individuals undergoing treatment with Tamoxifen for a long duration run the risk of developing endometrial cancer.
Because of these drawbacks, efforts are being made to develop agents that can produce the same benefits as Tamoxifen, but with fewer side effects.
Some women are more at risk than others of developing breast cacner. Women who have a family history of breast cancer and who bear mutated genes that are susceptible to the disease may have a lifetime risk of as much as 80%. Women in the general population, on the other hand, have only a 5% chance of developing the disease.
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