About 42,000 women die of breast cancer annually. More than 180,000 women, including 6,500 in Michigan, are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. The U-M is one of more than 400 institutions nationwide participating in the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene trial, sponsored by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. Tamoxifen is a drug that blocks the effects of the hormone estrogen, which is produced by a woman s ovaries and can promote the growth of some cancers. Blocking or lowering the levels of estrogen in a woman is one way of treating breast cancer.
Breast cancer arises over many years.
We know that it is, initially at least, a slow-growing disease. Women taking raloxifene in osteoporosis studies have seen a reduction in the incidence of breast cancer. The STAR trial will involve 22,000 postmenopausal women randomly assigned to take either tamoxifen or raloxifene daily for five years. Women will receive regular physical exams, mammograms and gynecological exams throughout the trial. Researchers are excited about the prospect of adding a new weapon to the arsenal of drugs for preventing and treating breast cancer.