Who Benefits from Breast Cancer Prevention Drugs? These Genes Might Tell

Researchers matched two gene variations previously unconnected to breast cancer with a positive response to long-term cancer prevention treatment using tamoxifen or raloxifene. Both medications are sometimes given to women who are at high risk of breast cancer, but the drugs can have side effects, including blood clots and increased risk of endometrial cancers. The variants are present in or nearby to genes that affect expression of the gene BRCA1, which is strongly associated with the development of breast cancer. Women with the beneficial version of the two variants were more than 5 times less likely than other high-risk individuals to get cancer while taking tamoxifen or raloxifene. The results could enable doctors to better predict who will benefit from treatment to prevent breast cancer.
Source: NIGMS Biomedical Beat - Category: Research Source Type: news