Does raloxifene have any serious side effects?
Information about raloxifene is limited compared to the data available on tamoxifen because of the shorter time it has been studied (about five years) and the smaller number of women who have been studied. Studies of raloxifene have generally involved women who received the drug to determine its effect on osteoporosis, and the duration of both therapy and follow-up have been short. Women taking raloxifene in clinical trials have about three times the chance of developing a deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism as women on a placebo. In osteoporosis studies of raloxifene, the drug did not increase the risk of endometrial cancer. An important part of STAR will be to assess the long-term safety of raloxifene vs. tamoxifen in women at increased risk of breast cancer.
