A survey conducted in primary care practices showed that a small proportion of women are eligible for discussions about use of tamoxifen to prevent cancer, and of those women, the proportion of breast cancers that would be prevented is also small, according to an article in the September 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Despite the importance of screening mammography and breast examination in breast cancer control, randomized trials show modest effect of screening on breast cancer deaths, according to background information in the article. A national breast cancer prevention trial showed a 49 percent reduction in breast cancer incidence in high-risk individuals who received tamoxifen. However, according to the article, the same study also showed that the drug increased the risk of endometrial (uterus) cancer, pulmonary embolism (sudden blockage of an artery in the lung), blood clots in the deep veins, and stroke.