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n osteoporosis drug used to treat osteoporosis has halved the risk of developing breast cancer in patients predisposed to develop the disease.These new and surprising results were revealed by a study conducted by the U.S. government on a sample of 20,000 women.
The study found that the "Raloxifen", currently marketed for osteoporosis treatment, has the same pharmacological properties as "Tamoxifen" in the prevention of breast cancer among women of advanced age and prone to develop, but causes minor side effects, said the National Cancer Institute.
The new results show that Raloxifen can replace tamoxifen as the first option for preventing breast cancer among menopausal women with a high risk of developing the disease, said the institute.
The Tamoxifen is so far the only drug approved to reduce the possibilities that breast cancer affects women more prone to disease.
The two drugs are selective modulators in response to estrogen. " They act like the hormone estrogen in some tissues but as an anti-estrogen in others.
The Tamoxifen can be administered to life, although it caused few serious effects, like increasing the risk of cancer of the uterus or generate potentially fatal obstructions in the circulatory system.
The Raloxifen may cause the same effects, but not so, according to the study by the National Cancer Institute with an investment of 88 million.
