Table of Contents
- Highlights
- Introduction
- Risk Factors
- Prevention and Lifestyle Factors
- Symptoms
- Diagnosis
- Prognosis
- Treatment
- Surgery
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone Therapy
- Resources
- References
- References
Raloxifene (Evista) is approved for prevention of breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and postmenopausal women at high risk for invasive breast cancer. (It is also approved for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.) Studies indicate that it works as well as tamoxifen in reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer
One of raloxifene’s main benefits is that it has a lower risk than tamoxifen of causing uterine cancer and blood clots. However, women with a history of blood clots in the legs, lungs, or eyes should not take raloxifene. Although studies indicate raloxifene does not increase the risk of stroke, it can increase the risk of dying from a stroke. Women with a history of or current risk factors for stroke or heart disease should discuss with their doctors whether raloxifene is an appropriate choice.
Less serious side effects of raloxifene include hot flashes, leg cramps, swelling of the legs and feet, flu-like symptoms, joint pain, and sweating. Raloxifene can cause birth defects and is approved only for postmenopausal women. It should not be taken with the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine (Questran) or with estrogen medications.
Preventive Surgery. Select women who have a very high risk for breast cancer, due to factors such as BRCA genetic mutations or strong family history of breast cancer, may consider preventive (prophylactic) surgery. For these women, prophylactic mastectomy of both breasts can reduce the risk of cancer by as much as 97%. Prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes) can halve the risk for breast cancer and also significantly reduce the risk for ovarian cancer. Preventive surgery requires careful and serious consideration, and you should be sure to seek a second opinion from an oncologist before making a final decision.
Review Date: 11/08/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M.,
Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
