atypical ductal hyperplasia and Evista

My mother had a biopsy and her surgeon has told her that she has atypical ductal hyperplasia.  He would like her to start taking Evista, but she is extremely worried about the side effects of this type of drug.  She is most concerned with the fact that taking Evista may not make that much of a difference in preventing cancer in the future.  How much of a percentage does it decrease the chances of developing cancer?  Is it worth risking side effects?  We have breast cancer in the family, and she has cateracts now, which I understand can be affected by the medication.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear valzyh:  In clinical trials, tamoxifen and raloxifen (evista) were found to have similar results in terms of breast cancer risk reduction.  The approximate risk reduction is about 49% in postmenopausal, high risk women.  For any individual, the risks must be weighed against the benefits.  Your mother might benefit from a discussion with a breast specialist.  These can often be found at large academic medical centers.  

[Vetiver]

Had my surgery on Monday, it all went well. I felt like normal the next day except for a bad headache from not drinking coffee the day before. My breast is swollen but the incision is way on the right and not that bad. They followed the wire into my breast. Now I await the pathology. Today I got a preliminary that they had a quick look and don't see anything awful but still need to put the stuff through some process. Im not sure what. My nurse practitioner is feeding me this info coz she loves me and I will be indebted to her for support in all of this. She has been such a gift and a blessing. I will post here when I know my results for sure. blessings

[Vetiver]

oops posted to the wrong comment sorry.