Breast Cancer Patients not Following Treatment

Ivanhoe Newswire
Monday, January 22, 2007; 12:11 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Tamoxifen is a drug used to keep breast cancer from coming back, but a new study reveals about 25 percent of women stop taking it after a year. That's a rate twice as high as previous research suggested.

Tamoxifen inhibits estrogen from allowing cancer cells to grow. Scientists estimate more than 40,000 cancer recurrences are prevented each year because of the drug. But women should take it for five years.

Women most often stop taking the drug because of its associated side effects, including hot flashes and mood swings. However, these can be treated with a specific antidepressant.

Researchers conclude, "This study demonstrates that persistence with tamoxifen cannot be assumed and raises concerns about persistence with other oral hormonal therapies for breast cancer ... This is of particular importance as longer durations of adjuvant therapy may be recommended for breast cancer in the future and as cancer survivorship becomes a priority area in clinical practice and research."

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SOURCE: CANCER, published online Jan. 22, 2007