FOR the first time, American women in danger of developing breast cancer can
take a licensed drug in the hope of warding off the disease. The drug tamoxifen
has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a preventive
measure in women at high risk of the disease.
The FDA鈥檚 decision rests on the American Breast Cancer Prevention Trial,
involving more than 13 000 women, which found those on tamoxifen were half as
likely to get breast cancer as those on placebo. However, trials in Europe have
failed to demonstrate a similar protective effect
(This Week, 18 July, p 5).
Researchers involved in the European trials are highly critical of the FDA鈥檚
move. 鈥淚 think this is premature鈥� says Ian Fentiman, head of surgical oncology
at Guy鈥檚 Hospital, London.
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Fentiman notes that women given tamoxifen are more likely to develop
endometrial cancer and deep vein thrombosis. He adds that there is some evidence
that tamoxifen is less effective in preventing breast cancers due to inherited
mutations鈥攐ne type of the disease US authorities hope to
prevent鈥攖han in women with other risk factors, such as having had a series
of biopsies for breast lumps.