Chemoprevention is a new buzz word in cancer prevention. It involves the use of drugs such as tamoxifen and raloxifene to lower the risk of cancer. Learn about the basics of chemoprevention and how it works.Drugs to Prevent Cancer
Cancer is taking over heart diseases as the number one killer in developed countries. Cancer deaths account for 25% of all deaths in the United States. In the fight against cancer, chemoprevention has emerged as a new and exciting weapon. By definition, chemoprevention is the use of drug to prevent a disease from occuring. Ideally, use of chemopreventive agents will help the body to recognized mutated cells and remove them from the system before they grow and divide uncontrollably.
One of the most celebrated chemopreventive agent is tamoxifen. Clinical trials show that tamoxifen reduces the risk of developing breast cancer in women at high risk for breast cancer by 50%. Tamoxifen, however, has a small probabiliy of serious side-effects. It may cause uterine cancer and blood clots.
Despite the evidence that it reduces the risk of developing breast cancer in high-risk women, tamoxifen has not been widely accepted for chemoprevention largely because of the lack of evidence that survival is improved in women who receive tamoxifen as a chemopreventive agent, and a small risk of serious adverse events, including uterine cancer and blood clots in the legs or lungs.
Raloxifene is another drug that has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of breast cancer. It is often used in the context of treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Raloxifene's side effects are not as seious as tamoxifen.
Aspirin is another poster child for chemoprevention. Clinical trials show that use of low-dose aspirin can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 30-60%. It is suggested that aspirin affects colorectal cancer through the COX pathway.Aspirin in combination with statin not only reduces risk of cancer but also reduces risk of heart diseases.
Erlotinib has been shown to prevent oral cancer in people at high risk for the disease. Erlotinib is believed to inhibit tumor growth by targeting the EPGR (epidermal growth factor receptor).
