Breast cancer prevention study launched at Laredo Medical Center

 

STAR (Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene), one of the largest breast cancer prevention studies ever, was in Laredo recently to determine whether the osteoporosis prevention drug raloxifene (Evista) is as effective in reducing the chance of developing breast cancer as tamoxifen (Nolvadex).

Dr. Cesar Tula MD, FACP and Dr. Yadvindera (Bobby) Bains MD, Director of Radiation Oncology at the A.R. Sanchez, Sr., and Iris Sanchez Stewart Cancer Center at the Laredo Medical Center and adjunct Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Health Science Center, spoke about the significance of this study and how the Laredo community can benefit from more representation on clinical trials.

Laredo Medical Center also recruited women to go through an individualized, no obligation risk assessment to determine their risk of breast cancer and weigh the pros and cons of joining the trial.

The trial will include postmenopausal women at increased risk of breast cancer as determined by their age, family history of breast cancer, personal medical history, age at first menstrual period, and age at first live birth.

Every single woman plays a vital role in the STAR study to help further define the risks and benefits of tamoxifen and raloxifene therapy. Women at high risk of breast cancer should have options for preventing this disease with a minimum of side effects, and STAR is a strong effort to find them.

In the first year of the STAR trials only about 1.3 percent of the women on STAR were Hispanic. Laredo Medical Center is focused on increasing the participation of Hispanic participants so that there will be better representation among the studies. The goal is that through increase participation, more lifesaving research will lead to healthier prevention options and treatment.

Tamoxifen (trade name Nolvadex) was proven in the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial to reduce breast cancer incidence by 49 percent in women at increased risk of the disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of tamoxifen to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in women at increased risk of the disease in October 1998. Tamoxifen has been approved by the FDA to treat women with breast cancer for more than 20 years and has been in clinical trials for about 30 years.

Studies of raloxifene (trade name Evista) suggest it has the potential to prevent breast cancer, but to prove that potential, clinical trials in which the risks and benefits of raloxifene are directly compared with the risks and benefits of tamoxifen are needed. This drug was approved by the FDA to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in December 1997 and has been under study for about five years. Both tamoxifen and raloxifene have known side effects.