Letter: Nolvadex effective cancer therapy

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Wednesday, Aug. 4, 1999 | 9:37 a.m.

We at AstraZeneca applaud your publication for covering the STAR (Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene) trial, certainly one of the most important breast cancer clinical trials to date.

I would like to clarify for you that the STAR trial's purpose is to determine if raloxifene has a significant effect on breast cancer risk reduction when compared to the proven therapy, Nolvadex (tamoxifen).

As mentioned in your article, results of a landmark study last year showed that high-risk women taking Nolvadex were 44 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than those who were not taking the drug.

I was surprised to see the side effects of Nolvadex overemphasized in comparison to the benefits of this treatment. The risks of therapy, while serious, occur in less than 1 percent of women on Nolvadex.

Only a woman and her doctor, with accurate information and a complete understanding of the benefits and potential side effects of Nolvadex therapy, can decide what is best for her.

JERRY P. LEWIS