Invasive breast cancer is cancer that has invaded the breast cell tissues. Results of the study are scheduled to be published later this month in the medical journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. The study involved 7,705 post-menopausal women with a history of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a bone disorder in which bone matter becomes thinner and weaker.
After four years, the study found that among the 5,129 women who received either dosage of raloxifene, there were 39 cases of breast cancer. But certain breast cancers whose cells have estrogen receptors can be fed by estrogen. Another SERM drug, tamoxifen, has been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer in women. A five-year study among up to 22,000 women considered at high risk for breast cancer will compare the effectiveness of the two drugs and determine whether one of them has fewer side effects. Raloxifene is also being studied for prevention of heart disease among post-menopausal women considered at high risk for heart disease.