Breast cancer chemoprevention: current clinical practice and future direction

With the unblinding of the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) in 1998, the clinical management of breast cancer prevention patients has expanded from the time-honored triad of breast cancer screening to include breast cancer risk assessment and risk reduction. With a proven 49% reduction in the incidence of breast cancer, tamoxifen is now the gold standard in chemoprevention for breast cancer risk reduction for women at increased risk of the disease. The suggested 74% reduction in the incidence of breast cancer seen with raloxifene in the Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation (MORE) trial is the basis of the now ongoing Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) for the Prevention of Breast Cancer. Findings are anticipated in 2006.