Breast cancer prevention study now recruiting
After Sandy and Wally Fuchs of Horace, N.D., attended an informational session about the upcoming breast cancer prevention study, there was no question what the next step would be. "When the presentation was over, I looked at Wally and his comment was, 'Why wouldn't you be on it?' I wholeheartedly agreed," says Sandy.
Sandy, whose mother died of breast cancer at age 55, is one of thousands of women at increased risk for the disease. That's why she's committed to doing whatever she can to prevent it, not just in herself, but in future generations of women, too. She participated in a five-year tamoxifen study that ended in 1997, and has now begun the five-year STAR study (the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene).
A brief look at tamoxifen
The tamoxifen study, which involved 13,000 women nation- wide, including 60 from the region, proved tamoxifen was indeed effective. For women at increased risk, it reduced the chance of developing breast cancer by 49 percent. But tamoxifen has its drawbacks, namely some negative side effects.
"Tamoxifen is medically successful, but it's not perfect," says Ralph Levitt, M.D., oncologist at MeritCare Roger Maris Cancer Center. "Women who are at increased risk for breast cancer need options for preventing this disease with minimal side effects. STAR is a major step in that direction."
STAR compares tamoxifen with raloxifene
The largest ever cancer-prevention study, STAR will involve more than 20,000 women in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. It will help determine which drug — tamoxifen or raloxifene — is most effective in preventing breast cancer with minimal side effects. Raloxifene, commonly known as Evista, has been used as an osteoporosis-prevention drug, but its similarities to tamoxifen indicate it may also be effective in preventing breast cancer. Unlike the first study, in which half the women, including Sandy, received placebos (drug-free, look-alike pills), all participants in STAR will receive one drug or the other. The drugs are provided free of charge.
As Sandy learned from the tamoxifen study, one of the benefits of participation is close follow-up. "You get such good care while you're on the study, and it's more frequent than average," she says, referring to the periodic checkups, including mammograms and gynecologic exams. "You know that if anything out of the ordinary develops, there's a good chance it'll be found right away. For that reason alone, it's worth it to me to participate."
You may be eligible...
STAR is open to women in the region who are over 35, post-menopausal, at increased risk for breast cancer, have not taken tamoxifen or have taken tamoxifen for less than three months and are not on hormone-replacement therapy. If interested in learning more, or you have questions regarding your breast-cancer risk, call MeritCare at (800) 511-6161 ext. 5842 or (701) 234-5842. MeritCare Roger Maris Cancer Center is one of two centers in North Dakota participating in the study, and one of 400 across North America.
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