Key Points

• Talk with your doctor about your risk of developing breast cancer and whether you could benefit from drugs to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
  
  
• Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) may lower your risk of developing breast cancer, if you have not been through menopause and have a higher risk.
  
  
• Tamoxifen or raloxifene (Evista) may lower your risk of breast cancer if you have been through menopause.
  
  
• Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking tamoxifen or raloxifene before making a decision.

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. In 2002, ASCO updated a clinical practice guideline from 1999 on the use of drugs to help lower the risk of breast cancer. This guideline was expanded again in 2009 to update the recommendations for the drug raloxifene (Evista) as a way to lower the risk of breast cancer for some women. This guide for patients is based on these updated ASCO recommendations.

As you read this guide, keep in mind that every person is different when considering cancer risk reduction methods. These recommendations are meant to help you talk with your doctor about drugs to reduce the risk of breast cancer. They are not meant to replace your judgment or that of your health care team. The final decisions you and your doctor make will be based on your individual circumstances.

Information in ASCO’s patient education materials is not intended as medical advice or as a substitute for the treating doctor’s own professional judgment; nor does it imply ASCO endorsement of any product, service, or company.

Last Updated: May 26, 2009

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