evista side effects

can evista cause breast cancer

[Enoch Choi, MD]

Evista (raloxifene) is used to prevent loss of bone density (osteoporosis) in postmenopausal women.   In postmenopausal women at high risk of developing breast cancer, raloxifene can reduce the risk of developing an invasive hormonally-responsive (ER positive) breast cancer and according to the STAR trial listed below, it does so better than tamoxifen by having less effect on the uterus and lower risk of blood clots than tamoxifen.  Ask your doctor if you're concerned about it possibly increasing the risk of breast cancer, since that's not commonly thought to be the case.

Effects of tamoxifen vs raloxifene on the risk of developing invasive breast cancer and other disease outcomes: the NSABP Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) P-2 trial.  
Vogel VG; Costantino JP; Wickerham DL; Cronin WM; Cecchini RS; Atkins JN; Bevers TB; Fehrenbacher L; Pajon ER Jr; Wade JL 3rd; Robidoux A; Margolese RG; James J; Lippman SM; Runowicz CD; Ganz PA; Reis SE; McCaskill-Stevens W; Ford LG; Jordan VC; Wolmark N  
JAMA. 2006 Jun 21;295(23):2727-41. Epub 2006 Jun 5.

Dr. Enoch Choi, MD
Palo Alto, CA