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Reduce Breast Density, Increase Survival
– Reported, April 26, 2013
(Ivanhoe Newswire) A recent study from the Karolinska Institutet discovered that the effects of tamoxifen, a drug used to prevent breast cancer relapse, can be measured by examining changes in breast density on a mammogram.
Researchers monitored 1,000 postmenopausal women treated for breast cancer for an average of 15 years. About half of the participants received tamoxifen.
For women who responded well to tamoxifen treatments, their mammograms showed a significant reduction in dense breast tissue, which has been linked to breast cancer risk. Participants whose breast density decreased by 20% or more once they were given tamoxifen were half as likely to die from breast cancer. Since tamoxifen reduces breast density when working effectively, researchers believe dense tissue could serve as a good measure of whether the patient is responding to tamoxifen.
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Source: Karolinska Institutet, April 2013
