Estrogen study spells hope for those at risk for breast cancer
7:46 a.m. Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Fifty-nine-year-old Marianne McCormack takes good care of her health, but she has some concerns. Both her mother and sister have had breast cancer.
"And I have a daughter and ten nieces that I would rather if they did not get breast cancer," she said. "It would make me very happy."
Marianne is enrolled in a study called the "wise" trial. It's in an area of cancer research called chemo-prevention.
Related Links
For general information about breast cancer, log on to the following Web sites:
Cancer.org
National Cancer Institute
"Chemo prevention's been going on forever, it seems in heart disease where people take agents to lower cholesterol or treat blood pressure. And really they're not preventing cholesterol and blood pressure, they're preventing heart attacks and strokes," said Medical Oncologist Judy Garber. "Chemo prevention in cancer is similar."
Since estrogen is the fuel breast cancer tumors use to grow, researchers think lowering estrogen levels may prevent the disease.
"Just like by lowering cholesterol, we can reduce heart disease," Garber said.
Marianne is part of a double blind study looking at the drug letrozole, which is brand named femara.
"It's the product of many years of research, and it's already been shown to work in the treatment of breast cancer," Garber said. "So this idea of lowering estrogen levels and treating breast cancer is now proven."
Researchers want to make sure reducing the hormone in healthy post-menopausal women isn't detrimental.
"We hope that we'll show that these medications are safe, because they look like they will be very powerful cancer preventives," Garber said.
The answers could lead to peace of mind for thousands of women.
Fast Facts
- About 212,920 cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women this year. About 40,970 women are expected to die from it.
- In some cases, the hormone, estrogen, is used by breast cancer cells to grow and divide.
- The WISES double blind triall aims to determine if lowering the levels of estrogen may reduce the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at risk for the disease.
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