Selecting the Right Dose to Move Breast Cancer Prevention Forward.

The uptake and adherence of preventive therapy of breast cancer in clinical practice are low because of fear of serious adverse events and menopausal symptoms. Low-dose tamoxifen has been shown to retain efficacy while reducing toxicity in high-risk women. In this issue of the journal, Cornell and colleagues evaluated uptake, adherence, and tolerability of low-dose tamoxifen in high-risk women. More than 70% of patients reported that they took low-dose tamoxifen after counseling and were still taking the medication at 1 year. This paradigm shift may move the field of breast cancer prevention forward and reduce breast cancer incidence and mortality. See related article by Cornell et al., p. 565.