Is Evista Better Than Tamoxifen?
The researchers studied more than 7,000 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis; more than 5,000 were prescribed Evista and the rest, a placebo. About a third of the women reported they had also taken hormone replacement therapy. Jan B. Vermorken, MD, press officer for the European Society for Medical Oncology and professor of oncology at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, says the study provides convincing evidence that Evista reduces the risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women. “The total number of patients studied is more than 7,000,” he tells WebMD. “That kind of number carries a lot of power.” Despite the promising data, both he and Powles stress that Evista is still only approved for use in preventing and treating osteoporosis. The only drug approved for prevention of breast cancer is tamoxifen. Also, although Evista has few side effects, it does carry a small increased risk for blood clots, especially clots in the legs, Powles says. But tamoxifen carries risks of its
