A drug prescribed to combat brittle bones has been shown to prevent invasive breast cancer.
A study has found that raloxifene – a drug used to prevent and treat osteoporosis – reduces the risk of developing invasive breast cancers by more than 50%.
The drug works by binding to oestrogen receptors in the body, and by doing this it could be preventing some of the effects of oestrogen “that spur cancer growth”.
Previous research has suggested that raloxifene could potentially reduce the occurrence of oestrogen-receptor positive breast cancer, and this large study provides supportive evidence for this.
However, the actual role that the drug might play in the prevention of this type of breast cancer is uncertain.
It is necessary to point out that the women taking raloxifene were more likely to suffer blood clots and fatal strokes compared with those taking a placebo. To balance the benefits with any potential harms such as these, it is important to know the absolute number of people who would benefit from treatment.
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