Truth be told, it's probably both.
Patients taking these drugs often pay a high price in terms of side effects. But for others, especially those taking drugs in an attempt to prevent breast cancer from ever getting started in the first place, such side effects can be much more significant. And I don't think that message is getting out to women clearly enough. On the other hand, says Steven Cummings, M.D., a professor of medicine, epidemiology, and biostatistics at the University of California at San Francisco and the primary investigator on a recent study of raloxifene, the strides the research community is making are truly remarkable. The country's investment in medical research is paying huge dividends now, and the benefits are only going to come faster.