Longer tamoxifen use reduces breast cancer recurrence

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/06/02/health-cancer-breast-idINL1N0EE03I20130602

Longer Tamoxifen Use May Be Linked To Lower Risk Of Breast Cancer Recurrence.

Reuters (6/2, Beasley) reported that according to research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, breast cancer recurrence may be more likely if women who had been treated for breast cancer in the past take tamoxifen for a full decade rather than just five years.

        HealthDay (6/3, Mozes) reports that the research “involved nearly 5,000 British breast cancer patients, all of whom had already completed a five-year regimen of tamoxifen by the time they entered the study at some point between 1991 and 2005.” Researchers “found that 10 years of treatment gave patients better protection against the recurrence of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers and/or death than did treatments offered for half as long.” HealthDay adds, “Assessing the findings in conjunction with the results of another recently completed study called the ATLAS trial, the team concluded that the benefits of prolonged therapy still outweigh any risks.”