Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Postmenopausal Hawaii women at least age 35 with an increased risk of breast cancer are sought for a national study of drugs to reduce the disease. Postmenopausal
women sought for national
breast-cancer drug studyStar-Bulletin staff
Dr. Robert H. Oishi, principal investigator of the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene trial in Hawaii, said 42 island women had volunteered for the study as of June 30.
A total of 6,139 women have enrolled nationwide and 16,000 more are needed.
The trial has a five-year recruitment plan but the Hawaii program hopes to accomplish the goal in two to three years, said Oishi, who is conducting it for the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.
The trial is intended to determine if raloxifene (Evista), an osteoporosis prevention and treatment drug, is as effective as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) in reducing breast-cancer risk.
Tamoxifen appeared to reduce the chance of developing breast cancer by about half in a 1998 breast-cancer prevention study.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 1998 approved use of tamoxifen to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in women with increased risk of the disease.
Raloxifene was shown to be effective in reducing incidence of breast cancer in a large osteoporosis trial.
More than 500 centers in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada are enrolling women in the STAR Trial, a study of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project.
Hawaii women interested in participating in STAR can obtain more information from Ann Kelminski, program coordinator, at 586-2979.