Tamoxifen Effective in Lowering Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence
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podfoto/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A study conducted by an international team of researchers confirmed the effectiveness of Tamoxifen, a commonly prescribed breast cancer treatment.
The study, published in the journal Lancet Oncology, showed that a five-year course of Tamoxifen is effective in cutting recurrence risk for at least 20 years.
Researchers studied more than 7,000 breast cancer survivors, half of whom took the five-year course of Tamoxifen, while the other half took a placebo for five years. They later followed up with the participants, an average of 16 years later, and found that those who took the Tamoxifen were 20 percent less likely to have had a recurrence of breast cancer.
The drug did not lower the risk of breast cancer death, researchers said.
Tamoxifen was approved for use in 1998 and has been used by millions of women.
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