Jean: Thank you so much for the recent article on tomoxifen, I have saved
it for future references. I was surprised they did not mention the side
effect of liver damage? I just wish that when doctors speak to us that they
give us a whole picture and then we can make wiser decisions about out
treatments; etc. Thanks, Lillian
-----Original Message-----
From: Jean Johnson <tiggeroo@tidalwave.net>
To: craftygirl@bigfoot.com <craftygirl@bigfoot.com>;
mol-cancer@lists.meds.com <mol-cancer@lists.meds.com>; bnjohnson@juno.com
<bnjohnson@juno.com>; jimnlinda@juno.com <jimnlinda@juno.com>;
anniejohnson@juno.com <anniejohnson@juno.com>
Date: Sunday, April 26, 1998 9:50 AM
Subject: [MOL] An article posted to GYN-ONC on cancer that might be of
interest (reducing risk of breast cancer, etc.)
>Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 17:25:31 -0500
>Reply-To: bulletin-reply@PATHFINDER.COM
>Sender: DRWEIL <DRWEIL@LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM>
>From: "Ask Dr. Weil" <bulletin@PATHFINDER.COM>
>Subject: Ask Dr. Weil Bulletin - 27 April 1998
>To: DRWEIL@LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM
>
>The Week of April 27, 1998
> ______________________________________
>
>The Ask Dr. Weil Bulletin
>http://www.drweil.com
>
>Dear Friends:
>
>Because of the importance of the breast cancer news this week -- and
>some
>editing errors in the original published version of Dr. Weil's answer --
>we
>are reprinting the Q&A in its entirety here.
>
>News About Breast Cancer Prevention?
>
>Q: I'm more worried than ever about getting breast cancer. News of
>false mammograms, tamoxifen controversy and now the death of Linda
>McCartney! Can tamoxifen really help? If it's too risky, what else can I
>do
>to protect myself from getting breast cancer?
>
> -- Anonymous
>
>I know that for a lot of you the passing of Linda McCartney hits home.
>For
>those of us who grew up through the '60s and '70s, she mirrored our
>generation's growth, from the heady days of the Beatles to the
>discovery of healthier living through vegetarian diets. Her death from
>breast cancer at age 56 is yet another experience many -- too many --
>can
>relate to.
>
>High levels of female sex hormones (estrogens) in your blood favor the
>development of cancers of the breast and reproductive system, because
>estrogens stimulate cells of these tissues to divide and proliferate.
>You
>can lower your estrogen levels by getting more exercise, reducing or
>eliminating consumption of alcohol, eating hormone-free meat and poultry
>(if you eat those foods) and having a first baby earlier in life rather
>than later. You can also protect yourself by eating soybeans and soy
>foods
>frequently, eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and including
>fish or
>flaxseed in your diet to get omega-3 fatty acids.
>
>Women at high risk for breast cancer should avoid oral contraceptives
>and
>hormone replacement at menopause -- treatments that are safe for others.
>
>Pharmacological help may be on the way for women at especially high
>risk,
>such as those with strong family histories of breast cancer. Tamoxifen
>(trade name Nolvadex) is a drug, taken in pill form, that blocks effects
>of
>estrogen. Recent results of a six-year research project called the
>Breast
>Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) showed a 45 percent reduction in
>breast cancer among the 13,388 healthy but high-risk women participants.
>That's the good news. The downside is that tamoxifen increases risk of
>three rare, life-threatening health problems: endometrial cancer (cancer
>of the lining of the uterus), pulmonary embolism (blood clot in
>the lung), and deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in major veins). It may
>also cause menopause-like symptoms such as hot flashes, nausea, swollen
>ankles, irregular vaginal bleeding, mood swings and weight gain.
>
>For years, I've recommended tamoxifen to women with estrogen receptor
>positive breast cancer as a relatively safe and effective treatment.
>When
>the drug is used along with other therapy for early stage breast cancer,
>it
>helps prevent recurrence of the original cancer and development of new
>cancers in the opposite breast. Also, while acting against the effects
>of
>estrogen in breast tissue, it acts like estrogen in other parts of the
>body, providing such benefits as lowering of blood cholesterol and
>slowing
>bone loss.
>
>The National Cancer Institute emphasizes that the benefits of tamoxifen
>as
>a treatment for breast cancer are firmly established and far outweigh
>the
>potential risks. The question is, can tamoxifen prevent breast cancer in
>women who have an increased risk of developing it?
>
>Tamoxifen is a serious drug. Women who are at high risk should work with
>a
>doctor and do a careful risk/benefit analysis of tamoxifen based on age,
>personal history and family history. This should include mammography.
>They
>should also follow news about a related drug, Evista (raloxifene), just
>approved by the FDA for the prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal
>women and now being tested for efficacy in preventing breast cancer
>without
>increasing risk of uterine cancer. I am cautiously optimistic about this
>drug and other selective estrogen receptor modifiers now under
>development.
>_________________________________________
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