A land mark study shows a drug can can more than halve
the development of breast cancer in high risk women. A trial on 4000 women,
published in the British medical journal,Lancet, showed anastrozole was more
effective,cheaper and had fewer side effects than current medications.
It stops the production of the hormone oestrogen, which fuels the
growth of the growth of majority of breast cancers.
Doctors and campaigners are asking health services to consider
offering the drug to healthy women. Some countries already offer the drugs
tamoxifen and raloxifen to prevent breast cancer. They both block oestrogen
activity, however,they also icrease the risk of cancers of the womb,deep vein
thrombosis and hot flushes.
Aromatse inhibitors, such as anastrozole,stop oestrogen being
produced in the first place and are already being used as a treatment for
breast cancer.
A study at Queen Mary University of London has followed women with
a high risk of breast cancer, based on their family history, for an average of
five years.
It showed that out of 2000 high-risk women given no treatment,
there were 85 cases of breast cancer in the study.
But in the same number of women given anastrozole,there were 40
cases with virtually no side effects.
Lead research prof Jack Cuzick, said"I think this is an
exciting moment, breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women and we
have a chance to reduce cases."
Prof Cuzick said there was now enough evidence to consider
offering the drug.
For this and much more, read The East African Survey-Regional
research bulletin and the British Medical journal-
BBC
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