Tamoxifen for the prevention of breast cancer: no.

The tamoxifen chemoprevention trial in health women is ongoing in over 250 cancer treatment centers. The use of tamoxifen for the treatment of postmenopausal women with known breast cancer has been touted as a medical breakthrough by many physicians. However, the ongoing trial which enroll high-risk healthy women above the age of 34, has been controversial since its initiation in 1991. Congressional hearings, editorial, and statistical analyses concerning the scientific basis of the trial have emerged over the past year. This chapter presents the newest scientific facts, and speculates on the unknown risks of using tamoxifen as a chemopreventive in healthy women.