Drug Can Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer, Study Says

A drug now used to prevent a recurrence of breast cancer, reported the risk that, first, and offers a new option for women at high risk of disease, researchers here Saturday.

After a median follow-up of about three years, over 11 women had invasive breast cancer, the drug, compared with 32 women who developed a placebo. Would be about 94 women to prevent one case of breast cancer for three years, treated, said Dr. Goss. In the study, exemestane side effects were acceptable, he said. Some doctors and patient representatives said that the side effects of aromatase inhibitors such as bone and joint pain that many women with cancer at a standstill, it was announced that they have caused. Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, deputy medical director of the American Cancer Society, said the drug would be acceptable if there is a better way to predict who was really in danger of suffering from breast cancer.

The patent for the drug expired in April. The drug is off-label for women, but the insurer may still be reluctant to pay.

Two other studies indicate that the drug Avastin against cancer on a large scale conference, he presented useful to delay the progression of ovarian cancer. But the two studies has so far received the drug can prolong life, the ultimate test for a drug against cancer. This may involve the use of Avastin in ovarian cancer similar to a discussion of its use in breast cancer.

The drug manufacturer Roche for approval in Europe, provided the drug for the treatment of ovarian cancer on the market. The F.D.A. Now moves to revoke the approval of Avastin for use in the treatment of breast cancer, in part because the drug does not prolong life in clinical trials. In a study of 484 women with ovarian cancer that was back after initial treatment with medication.