Femara and Tamoxifen

My wife and I did quite a bit of research on Tamoxifen and found the statistics quite encouraging until we read the details. They kept claiming that Tamoxifen could give you 49% odds at keeping a reocurrence at bay. Now, on the surface, I was all over it, anything to keep my babe safe. Then I read how they came up with those statistics. It is acutally 49% of 1%. Yep, thats right, 49% of 1%. Here is

the truth is that according to the study, your odds of

getting breast cancer without using tamoxifen was only 1.3%, and with

tamoxifen it dropped to .68%. That represents a 49% difference between the

two numbers (as cited), but just a little over one-half of one-percent

difference (.62%) in real terms.

 

I was shocked. How could they expose women to this much risk of endrometrial cancer, and all the other side effects for such a little return of risk? I am still fuming.... Now, it just so happens that the same company gave the results of Tamoxifen, and turns out, that it only helps about 50% (rough estimate here) of the women with breast cancer at all. BUT! the new drug, Femara is much much better, and is being touted to be THE drug of choice. and in the same caveat, Tamoxifen lost its patent, so now generic drugs can be made. I find the timing impeccable with the study... Drug isn't quite as effective as they thought, so drop it when our patent expires, and setup another. My rant leads to this question. What percent of their NEW drug is effective on what percent? is this another 49% of 1%.

 

I am livid that they would risk this many lives for such a small return of risk. and I am glad I spent the time researching these drugs before talking to my wife about her choices. Folks, a point to this rant is ask questions. What is the reward for the risk you take? What are the true statistics for the chemotherapy and radiation that you may or may not choose to subject yourself to. Do not accept their numbers at face value, research what they have to say, and present them with questions you have. After all, it is the rest of your life you are talking about.

 

Erick Carpenter

 

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag99/may99-cover.html

Read the portion that much like the latest breast cancer drug, the FDA panel voted no on its approval, but the FDA approved it anyway. (the study you are about to read is for 1999. Now we have the same thing happening again.

Quote: "

In a stunning move, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of tamoxifen (Nolvadex) chemotherapy for healthy women with no evidence of breast cancer. The approval came after almost two decades of wrangling over research that cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, created fraud, prompted a congressional hearing, and spanned great controversy. The FDA's decision-announced on October 30, 1998-allows Zeneca Pharmaceuticals to tap into a market potentially worth 36 billion dollars annually. The decision allowing the drug to be sold for breast cancer prevention was made despite objections from women's health organizations and researchers around the world. When the advisory committee recommending approval was asked whether the tamoxifen prevention study demonstrated that the drug had "a favorable benefit-risk ratio for the prevention of breast cancer in women at increased risk as defined by the study population," it said "no" unanimously. Yet, the FDA approved tamoxifen for healthy women anyway."

So the new drug, Avastin was rejected as well, yet the FDA approved it. I find that rather amazing. Not surprising, but amazing.

Hope this helps some.

Erick

Miss Lolli, take a look at the studies done on I3C and DIM compared to Tamoxifen in relation to preventing reoccurence...

Google it or .. this article shows some of the studies done thus far.

Dear Dr. S. The recommended dosage for I3C is 500 mg daily. As far as I know there are no known adverse effects from I3C. Tamoxifen as you know acts as an anti-estrogen by blocking estrogen receptor sites. I3C acts to enhance the metabolism and excretion of estrogen. Consequently I dont know of any adverse interaction between the two. On the other hand by enhancing metabolism of available estrogen simultaneous usage of I3C with Tamoxifen might allow the Tamoxifen to be reduced or even eliminated. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley injected three groups of human breast cancer cells--one with I3C another with Tamoxifen and a third with the two substances combined. The cells injected with Tamoxifen alone experienced a 60 percent inhibition in DNA synthesis while the cells injected with I3C experienced a 90 percent inhibition during the same period. The combination of I3C and Tamoxifen yielded a more effective suppression of the cancer cells than either substance alone resulting in a 95 percent inhibition after 96 hours of treatment. I hope this answers your question. Ward Dean MD Reference: Cover CM Hsieh SJ Cram EJ Hong C Riby JE Bjeldanes LF and Firestone GL. Indole-3-carbinol and tamoxifen cooperate to arrest the cell cycle of MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells. Cancer Research. 1999; 59: 1244-1251.